Making America Exceptional Again: Donald Trump's Traditionalist Jeremiad, Civil Religion, and the Politics of Resentment

Donald Trump's campaign slogan to “Make America Great Again” captivated the imagination of millions of Americans by contextualizing disparate sources of social resentment as emblematic of a broader story of American decline. Employing a “traditionalist civil religious jeremiad,” Trump called for a reassertion of American exceptionalism, and extolled a romanticized golden age predating transformative social changes (e.g., sexuality, gender roles, racial equality). As such, his rhetoric legitimized the defense of white male privilege as a vital component of this restoration. While this use of civil religious themes emboldened those who harbor prejudicial views, it alienated others who interpret such rhetoric as an assault on the soul of the nation. Relying on a unique module within the 2018 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, we demonstrate that adherence to the tenets of American civil religion significantly exacerbated the effects of symbolic racism and modern sexism on support for Trump.

Clarifying the meaning of symbolic racism

We examined whether symbolic racism is associated with anti-Black affect or more general anti-liberal affect. Across six studies (N = 14,078), we determined that symbolic racism is associated with more positive attitudes toward conservatives and more negative attitudes toward liberals, regardless of the target’s race. While high scorers on the symbolic racism scale show a slight preference for White vs. Black conservatives (d = .15) and White vs. Black liberals (d = .12), low scorers show a considerable preference for Black vs. White liberals (d = .42) and Black vs. White conservatives (d = .50). Lingering questions about the validity of the symbolic racism construct are justified on the basis that symbolic racism does not reliably measure anti-Black affect.

Race, Racial Negativity, and Competing Conceptions of American National Identity

This study explores differences among African Americans, Latinos, and whites regarding which attributes are most important to being truly American and how these competing conceptions relate to an individual’s level of racial animus toward African Americans. Using nationally representative survey data, we first find that Americans of different races vary across six different components of national identity and do so in ways consistent with theorizing on symbolic racism and inter-group conflict. Specifically, Americans place more importance on those components shared with indivduals of the same race. We then analyze how these differing beliefs about national identity influence racial animus. Here, we find robust evidence that individuals who prioritize the ascriptive, exclusive elements of national identity are more racist, while individuals who embrace its most inclusive element are less so. Finally, we reveal that the relationship between conceptions of national identity and racism is moderated substantially by race, and this robust relationship for whites and Latinos is virtually identical.

Robert Johnson e o racismo em Mississipi nas décadas de 1910-1930 no documentário "O Diabo na Encruzilhada"

Neste estudo busca-se analisar a trajetória do músico Robert Johnson em razão da sua vivência como homem negro no Mississipi entre as décadas de 1910 e 1930, período de tensões sociais extremas para a comunidade negra nas condições existentes no estado e no país em si. Para realizar este objetivo, a investigação toma como ponto de partida o documentário “O diabo na encruzilhada”, do diretor Brian Oakes, que aborda a vida de Johnson desde suas origens, destacando os conflitos de classe e raça entre membros de sua família e o Klu Klux Klan, até sua morte, aos 27 anos. Sua vida conturbada é marcada tanto pelo racismo institucional como simbólico. Desmistifica-se Johnson, documentando os aspectos sociopolíticos da época, de forma a explicar seu legado deturpado pela mentalidade racista.Palavras-chave: Blues. História Afroamericana. Racismo.AbstractThis study intends to analyze the trajectory of Robert Johnson, an established african-american musician, about his experiences with racism during the decades of 1910 to 1930. This period was a time of extreme social tension for the black community, especially in the existing conditions of Mississippi, and the entirety of the United States at the time. "The Devil at the Crossroads," a documentary directed by Brian Oakes, approaches Johnson's life focusing from the conflicts of class between Johnson's family and members of the Klu Klux Klan to details of Johnson's life up until his untimely death at 27. Johnson's life was turbulent, stained by institucional and symbolic racism. By demythologizing Johnson, documenting the sociopolitical aspects of the period, Oakes explains how Johnson's legacy was perverted by the racist mentality.Keywords: Blues. African-American History. Racism.