Ethnocentrism is carrying Donald Trump to the Republican nomination for president, although it may condemn him to defeat in the November election, says Vanderbilt University political scientist .
Ethnocentrism is the tendency to partition the human world into in-groups and out-groups: into 鈥渦s鈥� against 鈥渢hem.鈥� These groups might be based on nationality, race-ethnicity, or religion, or any other salient social category.
鈥淒onald Trump is an excellent case of ethnocentric rhetoric,鈥� says Kam, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt. 鈥淎nytime he speaks it鈥檚 usually about us against them. For example, thinking about protecting the country against Muslims (and) thinking about building a wall between the United States and Mexico.鈥�
Kam and co-author Donald Kinder applied the term 鈥渆thnocentrism鈥� to politics in 2009 in their book (The University of Chicago Press), and their findings prove consistent today. They found that ethnocentrism informs a wide range of policy opinions, including support for war, opposition to foreign aid and opposition to immigration.
Trump must move to the middle
The rampant ethnocentrism in Trump鈥檚 words likely accounts for much of his popularity and unprecedented rise as the Republican Party nominee. Trump might try to move to the center on some issues after he gets the nomination and needs to attract more moderate voters in the general election. But then he would risk losing his ethnocentric base.
鈥淲hen it comes to the general election, ethnocentrism will not carry Donald Trump to the White House,鈥� Kam says. 鈥淚 predict that he will have to moderate some of his stances.鈥�
Trump helps election turnout
Ethnocentric voters find Trump鈥檚 rhetoric appealing. Less ethnocentric voters find it offensive. Either way, 鈥渋t has gotten ordinary people talking about politics in a way I don鈥檛 think we鈥檝e seen in quite a while,鈥� Kam says. 鈥淚 think campaigns like these are moments for the country to come together and not just pick who is going to be elected into the White House, but to think about who we are as a country and what our values are.
鈥淸lquote]One thing about Donald Trump is that he鈥檚 given people a lot to talk about,鈥� she says.[/lquote]
Trump may motivate a good many voters who want to ensure that he doesn鈥檛 win, Kam says. During the primary season, these voters haven鈥檛 had a formal outlet to express their frustration with him.
鈥淭he media has focused on his rise within the Republican constituency among some core voters, but there鈥檚 a whole set of people who find his ethnocentric rhetoric to be quite repelling,鈥� Kam says. 鈥淎nd if he ends up being in the general election, they will do their darnedest to make sure he doesn鈥檛 get elected.鈥�
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