This essay, on Richard Hofstadter’s “The Paranoid Style in American Politics”, was my Observer column this week. It was published on 3 November 2024, under the headline “Today’s populism is informed by bigotry, but its roots lie in the promise of equality”. “American politics has often been an arena for angry minds.” Not a comment on this year’s presidential campaign but an observation on another US presidential race, that of 1964. It is the opening line to one of the most influential political […]

Categories: Culture & Books, International, Politics • Tags: america, barry goldwater, donald trump, eric foner, populism, richard hofstadter, the paranoid style in american politics