Populism in America: A Mixed-method Analysis of Bernie Sanders use of Left-wing Populist Rhetoric to Mobilize Economically Marginalized Voters

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dc.contributor.advisorSimas, Elizabeth N.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberArcher, Allison M. N.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberClifford, Scott
dc.creatorJohnson, Isaiah Christopher
dc.date.accessioned2022-06-29T22:12:39Z
dc.date.available2022-06-29T22:12:39Z
dc.date.createdMay 2021
dc.date.issued2021-05
dc.date.submittedMay 2021
dc.date.updated2022-06-29T22:12:40Z
dc.description.abstractPolitical rhetoric is often used by political elites to drive home a specific message and mobilize supporters to get out and vote. Interestingly, the United States is in the midst of growing populist communication, especially in the world of social media. President Donald Trump’s use of Twitter to disseminate populist rhetoric that motivates his base through themes of economic disenfranchisement and racial resentment is largely considered to be a predominant reason for his unexpected victory in 2016. Yet less research has been done to understand how Senator Bernie Sanders’ political tweets also used populist messages to mobilize supporters. Through a unique analysis of Sanders’ and Trump’s Tweets, I argue that both candidates engage in populist rhetoric to mobilize their respective bases. Using 2016 ANES data, I argue that Bernie Sanders used comparable political communication and campaign positions to engage a similar, but ideologically left-leaning base of disenfranchised voters. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, I find that voters with characteristics most likely to be attracted to his brand of populism support him. Sanders voters stand in contrast to those who are mobilized by Trump and his brand of populism – a brand rooted in racial rather than class resentment. This approach provides a unique opportunity to peer into how candidate’s utilize social media to engage with their supporters, adding new scholarship to the political behavior literature.
dc.description.departmentPolitical Science, Department of
dc.format.digitalOriginborn digital
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10657/10177
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsThe author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).
dc.subjectPolitical Behavior
dc.subjectPolitical Communication
dc.subjectSocial Media
dc.subjectPopulism.
dc.titlePopulism in America: A Mixed-method Analysis of Bernie Sanders use of Left-wing Populist Rhetoric to Mobilize Economically Marginalized Voters
dc.type.dcmiText
dc.type.genreThesis
thesis.degree.collegeCollege of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
thesis.degree.departmentPolitical Science, Department of
thesis.degree.disciplinePolitical Science
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Houston
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts

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