This article explores the historical roots and enduring reverberations of American political culture, highlighting how cultural narratives have shaped U.S. politics from the 18th century to the present. It examines two foundational moments: the Great Awakening and the “Era of the Common Man,” tracing their impact on populist discourse, nationalism, and political polarization. Using a discourse-analytical approach, the paper investigates sermons, political pamphlets, and media texts to illustrate how religious revivalism and early party propaganda constructed a collective identity based on a dualistic vision: the pure people versus corrupt elites. This vision, first articulated by Protestant preachers and later amplified by figures like J. O'Sullivan and his Democratic Review, reinforced a moralistic, aggressive populism rooted in divine destiny and national exceptionalism. The article argues that these cultural constructions not only persisted but resurfaced during key political moments, including the presidency of Donald Trump, who consciously evoked Jacksonian imagery to appeal to an idealized “pure” America. The study concludes that American political culture, understood as a dynamic discursive process, has continually provided symbolic resources for political actors, enabling them to mobilize identity and legitimacy in moments of crisis. This enduring dynamic explains both historical and contemporary populist phenomena in U.S. politics.

La cultura politica statunitense: origini e riverberi

S. Poli
2024-01-01

Abstract

This article explores the historical roots and enduring reverberations of American political culture, highlighting how cultural narratives have shaped U.S. politics from the 18th century to the present. It examines two foundational moments: the Great Awakening and the “Era of the Common Man,” tracing their impact on populist discourse, nationalism, and political polarization. Using a discourse-analytical approach, the paper investigates sermons, political pamphlets, and media texts to illustrate how religious revivalism and early party propaganda constructed a collective identity based on a dualistic vision: the pure people versus corrupt elites. This vision, first articulated by Protestant preachers and later amplified by figures like J. O'Sullivan and his Democratic Review, reinforced a moralistic, aggressive populism rooted in divine destiny and national exceptionalism. The article argues that these cultural constructions not only persisted but resurfaced during key political moments, including the presidency of Donald Trump, who consciously evoked Jacksonian imagery to appeal to an idealized “pure” America. The study concludes that American political culture, understood as a dynamic discursive process, has continually provided symbolic resources for political actors, enabling them to mobilize identity and legitimacy in moments of crisis. This enduring dynamic explains both historical and contemporary populist phenomena in U.S. politics.
2024
979-12-80899-13-2
#americanism #USA #Nationalism #political culture
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11769/678489
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