Viewing entries tagged
Trump

Has Trump Been Good for America?

…By virtue of their antipathy to Trump, making Democrats into vocal deficit hawks and free traders so that even if they win back Congress or the Whitehouse, it would be hard to change their tune.

Trump Supporters and the Democratic Party, Part II

For the most part, these are longstanding Republican complaints against the Democratic Party. What's changed over the years is the intensity of feeling that accompanies the complaints...

Trump Supporters and the Democratic Party, Part I

According to every recent survey I've read, Trump supporters are well aware of the President's character defects and many don't agree with all his policies, yet they continue to support this vile man because they trust his overall policy instincts, don't mind or even enjoy the show he puts on, and/or really, really hate the Democrats.

Trump: Method in the Madness

To keep the Republican party in check, Trump has to keep his troops motivated. He has to tweet. He has to balance presidential displays with divisive rabble-rousing. A reasonable and humble Trump would lose his base and therefore the power to punish those who cross him.

The Perils of Profiling Trump Supporters, Part III

Trump supporters are often portrayed as economically stressed victims of globalization and the decline of US manufacturing, worried about job security and stagnating incomes. But as the last post documented, they do not appear to be plagued by trouble finding work. By and large, Trump Country has low unemployment rates.

The Perils of Profiling Trump Supporters, Part II

Trump supporters have been portrayed as victims of globalization and the decline of US manufacturing, stuck in low-paid jobs offering little in the way of job security or earning potential.  Angry and desperate, the story goes, they flocked to that champion of the scorned and neglected, Donald J. Trump, who would kick out the corrupt elites, restore hope, heal pride, and make America great again.

The Perils of Profiling Trump Supporters, Part I

The narrative goes something like this: Trump supporters are a bunch of profoundly unhappy bigots, ill-educated country bumpkins left behind by the forces of globalization, plagued by job insecurity, battered down by inequality, worried sick about their future, consumed by resentment of the liberal elites and racist to the core.

Variations of Power

A few types of Power: Control over Resources, Control over Rewards, and Coercion/Punishment. Power is subject to the Law of Personal Exploitation – the person/entity who cares less has the power to exploit the person who cares more (applicable to government services to employer-employee relations to marriages, etc.).