AIA Publications
Discussion Paper
Emily Adams
John Austin
Maria Skora
How the United States’ and Germany’s Politics Got Upended
The most recent national elections in two of the world’s leading economic powers and democratic stalwarts—Germany and the US—saw ethnonationalist parties closing in on taking power. The recent rapid rise in support for Germany’s radical right AfD party; and the success of Donald Trump’s MAGA movement now threaten to bring the institutional pillars and norms of these countries’ democratic societies to the ground. This crumbling, if it continues apace, could also serve to pull down the transatlantic international economic and political order so carefully constructed by the new allies after World War II. In both the U.S. and the German case, support for ethnonationalist leaders (Austin 2024) is driven by voters economic insecurity and anxiety about today’s social changes. In both countries those who feel economically secure and are pleased with the condition of their community—are not as responsive to these nationalist and nativist messages and movements. However, the many who are buffeted by economic shocks and the winds of social and cultural change are responsive to those who offer outlets for their anxieties and resentments—and promise simple answers to complex problems. To avoid further erosion of support for democratic principles and practices both countries must find leadership that can both promise and effectively deliver more broadly shared economic opportunity, as well as facilitate residents feeling they have a voice and influence in the politics of the day. Effective movement on these fronts can, over time, restore optimism, opportunity, and hope for many of those who are currently disaffected and diminish their support for authoritarian “fixers.”