Resentment and Populism in the Americas: The case of Trump and Bolsonaro

In this paper we analyze the microfoundations of support for Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, heads of state of the two largest countries in the hemisphere, and intimately linked in their rhetoric, use of social media and broad ideological positions. Have these politicians redefined the meaning of conservatism and right-wing politics, molding what we could refer to as conservative populism? Furthermore, are appeals to feelings of resentment a common denominator of conservative populism? In this paper we characterize conservative populism as direct appeals to certain sectors of society, in clear opposition to progressive discourse and rhetoric, especially related to issues of gender politics. The population is mobilized around a feeling of resentment against liberal elites. We attempt to identify the ideological orientations and policy preferences of Trump and Bolsonaro voters in the US and Brazil using survey data from both countries, including the Brazilian Electoral Panel Study and the American National Election Studies.

Lucio Renno R /Universidade de Brasília
Nils Ringe /University of Wisconsin-Madison