The Geopolitics of a Tectonic Value Shift
Could a social-conservative turn promote international stability?
Recently, one of America’s most conservative as well as influential newspapers, the Wall Street Journal, ran two intriguing pieces. One observed that “MAGA is taking back the culture,” the other – by the well-known academic and public intellectual Walter Russell Mead – argued that “American exceptionalism is back.” Together they raise important, perhaps vital questions.
The essence of “MAGA is taking back the culture” is that the return of Donald Trump to the presidency comes with a noticeable shift in US culture, broadly understood. Trump’s first term in office saw him hold the political high ground (if often in a chaotic and beleaguered manner) while facing gale-force headwinds in the public sphere. This time around, however, trends in the latter are converging with the politics of Trumpism. Being traditional is an increasingly popular thing: In June 2023 already, pollster Gallup found that 38% of Americans identify as socially conservative, the highest number since 2012. In addition, 44% considered themselves “economically conservative,” also the highest score since 2012.
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