ABSTRACT
The election of Donald Trump has its roots in social trends that have developed since the 1970s and have spread throughout the Western industrial democracies: most notably, a dramatic decline of confidence in government and other core social institutions. This has come in reaction to the general social and economic “opening” of the past 50 years, which has brought nations and peoples into far closer contact than at any previous historical period—but has also disrupted many established ways of life. From this strain, two contrary movements have developed: populism, which aims to restore traditional values and relations; and progressivism, which seeks to broaden inclusion and to reduce historical inequalities. Trump has built an often uneasy alliance of populists and traditional conservatives, while progressives have allied with traditional liberals. This divide has fed political polarization, which now constitutes a profound threat to the future and can be resolved only with deliberate attempts at mutual understanding and collaboration.
