线上讲座：美国民粹主义和两党的分化

The surge of populist nationalism has become a global phenomenon, from the election of Donald Trump to Brexit to the success of the far-right parties in Europe. A nationalist contagion has taken hold, gaining electorally, reshaping mainstream politics and policies, as well as shifting the political, economic and cultural divide. The 2020 elections in the US will serve as a barometer of whether American populist nationalism is on the rise, or not.

Populist nationalism themes loom large in the 2020 election campaign, from trade policy to immigration to US-China relations. Taking advantage of rising antipathy towards China in the US, intensified by nationalistic sentiments, both President Trump and Joe Biden have amped up xenophobic attacks against each other for being soft on China. The panel will explore the attitudes that give rise to populist nationalism and how they have intensified partisan divisions that pose a threat to liberal democratic norms in the US, as well as the China factor in this election.

How are these attitudes reflected in terms of political and policy choices? How much has such attitudes contributed to the increase in hate crimes, particularly against Asian Americans? How will nationalist passions on both sides translate into specific strategic, economic, and business policies? Is the decoupling of the US-China technology relationship inevitable?  What is driving each country to restrict the cross-border flow of goods, knowledge, capital, people, and ideas? Is the current expression of anti-China mindset and populist nationalism temporary, or more structural and permanent? And if populist nationalism becomes America’s new normal, will it threaten American democracy?