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The Ezra Klein Show

Best Of: Why the Far Right Is Thriving Across the Globe

The Ezra Klein Show

New York Times Opinion

Society & Culture, Government, News

4.611K Ratings

🗓️ 6 December 2024

⏱️ 91 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It was possible to see Donald Trump’s first election victory as some kind of fluke. But after the results of this election, it’s clear that America is living in the Trump era. And for Americans who’ve struggled to process this fact, you have lots of company around the world. From Hungary to Brazil, right-wing figures with openly authoritarian goals have been voted into power, to the concern of many of the people who live there. A political phenomenon that spans countries like this — especially countries with such different levels of wealth, political systems and cultures — requires an explanation that spans countries, too. So we wanted to re-air this episode that originally published in November 2022, because it offers exactly that kind of theory. Pippa Norris is a political scientist at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She’s written dozens of books on topics ranging from comparative political institutions to right-wing parties and the decline of religion. In 2019, she and Ronald Inglehart published “Cultural Backlash: Trump, Brexit and Authoritarian Populism,” which gives the best explanation of the far right’s rise that I’ve read. And it feels so much more relevant now in this country, after Trump’s decisive election. In this conversation, we discuss what Norris calls the “silent revolution in cultural values” that has occurred across advanced democracies in recent decades, why the “transgressive aesthetic” of leaders like Trump and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro is so central to their appeal, the role that economic anxiety and insecurity play in fueling right-wing backlashes and more. Mentioned: Sacred and Secular by Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart “Exploring drivers of vote choice and policy positions among the American electorate” Book Recommendations: Popular Dictatorships by Aleksandar Matovski Spin Dictators by Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. (And if you're reaching out to recommend a guest, please write “Guest Suggestion" in the subject line.) You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs. This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” is produced by Emefa Agawu, Annie Galvin, Jeff Geld and Roge Karma. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Original music by Isaac Jones. Mixing by Jeff Geld. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta. Special thanks to Kristin Lin and Kristina Samulewski. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Rogé Karma. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Mixing by our senior engineer, Jeff Geld. Our supervising editor is Claire Gordon. The show's production team also includes Rollin Hu, Elias Isquith, Kristin Lin, Jack McCordick and Aman Sahota. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta.

Transcript

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0:00.0

So as the year comes to a close, I wanted to share some episodes from the archives that I think gives some insight into the moment we're in now.

0:07.9

Today's conversation is with the political scientist Pippinoris.

0:11.0

We talked back in 2022 about the rise in right-wing authoritarian politics around the globe and the work she has done on the concept of cultural backlash as its driver.

0:22.2

Take a listen.

0:26.6

I'm Ezra Klein. This is The Ezra Klein Show.

0:31.7

Thank you. It's easy to look at American politics as aberrational right now. It's easy to look at American politics as aberrational right now.

0:57.6

It's comforting in a way.

0:59.2

Maybe the whole problem, the whole question is Donald Trump and the unique magnetism and attributes he brings to modern politics.

1:08.6

I mean, Trump is many things, but one thing he is is distinctive.

1:12.3

Once a billionaire or maybe billionaire developer, known for being a businessman, a celebrity,

1:17.8

reality TV star forever in the tabloids with an unerring sense of what will get people's attention,

1:23.4

who is somehow immune to the disciplining force of shame. Maybe that's a story right there, the particular package of attributes Donald Trump brings to all this.

1:32.9

And then you have the weird dimension of American institutions, a Republican party that he was able to take over, in part due to our weird way of doing primaries and the electoral college and the way we distribute power.

1:45.5

So it's easy to step back from that and think, something's just wrong with America. Why are we taken in by this guy?

1:50.8

But maybe nothing's wrong with America, or at least nothing specific. Look at Joe Biden.

1:56.7

Joe Biden may be polling in the low 40s, and people can come up with all kinds of explanations for that.

2:01.9

But that's better than other G7 leaders right now. In Canada, Justin Trudeau, also in the low 40s.

2:08.3

In France, Emmanuel Macron, upper 20s. In Germany, Olaf Schultz, also in the 20s.

2:13.0

In the UK, Liz Truss was at 9% when she resigned as prime minister, and she resigned mere months

2:20.0

after Boris Johnson had also resigned as prime minister. Nor is the Republican Party's ongoing

2:25.7

competitiveness or turn towards a more reactionary, subversive message all that unusual.

2:31.2

Italy just elected a far-right prime minister from a party with fascist roots. In France,

...

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