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Human rights under American populism

In: Populism and Human Rights in a Turbulent Era

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  • Gershon Shafir

Abstract

In this chapter, I will demonstrate the profound inherent threat contemporary populism poses to human rights, and therein to citizenship, constitutions, the institutions of democracy, and the rule of law, because each of its facets - its origins in the decline of privileges and the attempt to restore them, mobilizing passions that keep the true believers in a constant stage of agitation, and the contradictions of its self-definition which are required to sustain it - are built around rejecting civility and humanity. I will examine the dynamic of the rise of Trumpian populism as a cultivation of myths of decline, and offer my own understanding of the work populism does to maintain hierarchy. Then, I will examine three typical populist assaults on political, health, and educational rights in the U.S. Finally, I will assess future directions for the anti-populist political struggle.

Suggested Citation

  • Gershon Shafir, 2023. "Human rights under American populism," Chapters, in: Alison Brysk (ed.), Populism and Human Rights in a Turbulent Era, chapter 9, pages 166-190, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:elg:eechap:21388_9
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