Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Politics and International Relations

Reader 1

Mar Golub

Reader 2

Nancy Neiman

Rights Information

2025 Mason C Maxam

Abstract

This thesis examines the intersection of conservatism and populism in the United States, analyzing its implications for democratic stability. Through ideological and strategic lenses, it explores how populism’s anti-elite rhetoric and cultural grievances have reshaped conservatism, emphasizing racial identity and cultural traditionalism over limited government and free markets. The study highlights historical and modern examples, including Donald Trump’s presidency, illustrating how this convergence fuels democratic backsliding via voter suppression, executive aggrandizement, and affective polarization. By addressing structural and cultural conditions, the research argues for institutional forbearance, policy innovation, and rebuilding trust to counter the erosion of democratic norms.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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