Intro

Donald Trump has not been a favorite of university professors or public intellectuals, but he does have a base in some elements of political theory. What are their ideas and did they help bring us Trumpism? Laura Field tracks the intellectual parts of the movement and their relationship to mainstream political figures and activists. From the Claremont Institute to national conservatism, they were born of a deficit in defenses of liberal democracy. But there are many disagreements and odd theoretical turns. It took some opportunistic moments to unite the disparate strands. But these theorists have had a real impact in Republican politics and may shape the future of American government.