Den revolterande eliten eller den kreativa klassen? : Christopher Lasch, Richard Florida och det amerikanska presidentvalet 2024
(2025) In Statsvetenskaplig tidskrift 127(3). p.647-672- Abstract
- Aims The Trump movement displays several key features of a populist movement with a strong leader and a broad unorganized base of followers opposed to a per-ceived liberal elite establishment. In 2024, Trump gained strong support from strata with low income, low education and Hispanic men, previously not strong support-ers of Republicans. This study investigates the preconditions for a populist move-ment by comparing Christopher Lasch’s book “The Revolt of the Elites” (1995) with Richard Florida’s “The Rise of the Creative Class” (2002). Results According to Lasch, the educated and privileged segments of society have failed democracy by their aversion against debate and lack of respect for opposing opinions in their project to pursue... (More)
- Aims The Trump movement displays several key features of a populist movement with a strong leader and a broad unorganized base of followers opposed to a per-ceived liberal elite establishment. In 2024, Trump gained strong support from strata with low income, low education and Hispanic men, previously not strong support-ers of Republicans. This study investigates the preconditions for a populist move-ment by comparing Christopher Lasch’s book “The Revolt of the Elites” (1995) with Richard Florida’s “The Rise of the Creative Class” (2002). Results According to Lasch, the educated and privileged segments of society have failed democracy by their aversion against debate and lack of respect for opposing opinions in their project to pursue liberalizing politics regarding cultural values and globalist economic poli-cies. According to Florida, the creative class, with liberal values concerning lifestyle, culture, open borders and internationalism, is a benevolent factor for a creative economy. Both describe the same phenomenon from diametrically opposed stand-points, indicating factual consistency. Conclusions The notion that the revolting elites/creative class exist as collective actor is supported. There are indications of radicalization in terms of agenda (e.g. woke culture and economic globalism) and methods (e.g. cancel culture) in recent decades, but preconditions for the populist reaction existed in the 1990s. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Aims The Trump movement displays several key features of a populist movement with a strong leader and a broad unorganized base of followers opposed to a per-ceived liberal elite establishment. In 2024, Trump gained strong support from strata with low income, low education and Hispanic men, previously not strong support-ers of Republicans. This study investigates the preconditions for a populist move-ment by comparing Christopher Lasch’s book “The Revolt of the Elites” (1995) with Richard Florida’s “The Rise of the Creative Class” (2002). Results According to Lasch, the educated and privileged segments of society have failed democracy by their aversion against debate and lack of respect for opposing opinions in their project to pursue... (More)
- Aims The Trump movement displays several key features of a populist movement with a strong leader and a broad unorganized base of followers opposed to a per-ceived liberal elite establishment. In 2024, Trump gained strong support from strata with low income, low education and Hispanic men, previously not strong support-ers of Republicans. This study investigates the preconditions for a populist move-ment by comparing Christopher Lasch’s book “The Revolt of the Elites” (1995) with Richard Florida’s “The Rise of the Creative Class” (2002). Results According to Lasch, the educated and privileged segments of society have failed democracy by their aversion against debate and lack of respect for opposing opinions in their project to pursue liberalizing politics regarding cultural values and globalist economic poli-cies. According to Florida, the creative class, with liberal values concerning lifestyle, culture, open borders and internationalism, is a benevolent factor for a creative economy. Both describe the same phenomenon from diametrically opposed stand-points, indicating factual consistency. Conclusions The notion that the revolting elites/creative class exist as collective actor is supported. There are indications of radicalization in terms of agenda (e.g. woke culture and economic globalism) and methods (e.g. cancel culture) in recent decades, but preconditions for the populist reaction existed in the 1990s. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/338ff897-38e4-4ef4-8489-8dfed62f8731
- author
- Lindström, Martin LU
- organization
- alternative title
- The revolting elite or the creative class? : Christopher Lasch, Richard Florida and the 2024 US presidential election
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Statsvetenskaplig tidskrift
- volume
- 127
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 647 - 672
- publisher
- Fahlbeckska stiftelsen
- ISSN
- 0039-0747
- language
- Swedish
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 338ff897-38e4-4ef4-8489-8dfed62f8731
- alternative location
- https://journals.lub.lu.se/st/article/view/28413/24607
- date added to LUP
- 2025-10-24 14:09:01
- date last changed
- 2025-10-24 14:09:01
@article{338ff897-38e4-4ef4-8489-8dfed62f8731,
abstract = {{Aims The Trump movement displays several key features of a populist movement with a strong leader and a broad unorganized base of followers opposed to a per-ceived liberal elite establishment. In 2024, Trump gained strong support from strata with low income, low education and Hispanic men, previously not strong support-ers of Republicans. This study investigates the preconditions for a populist move-ment by comparing Christopher Lasch’s book “The Revolt of the Elites” (1995) with Richard Florida’s “The Rise of the Creative Class” (2002). Results According to Lasch, the educated and privileged segments of society have failed democracy by their aversion against debate and lack of respect for opposing opinions in their project to pursue liberalizing politics regarding cultural values and globalist economic poli-cies. According to Florida, the creative class, with liberal values concerning lifestyle, culture, open borders and internationalism, is a benevolent factor for a creative economy. Both describe the same phenomenon from diametrically opposed stand-points, indicating factual consistency. Conclusions The notion that the revolting elites/creative class exist as collective actor is supported. There are indications of radicalization in terms of agenda (e.g. woke culture and economic globalism) and methods (e.g. cancel culture) in recent decades, but preconditions for the populist reaction existed in the 1990s.}},
author = {{Lindström, Martin}},
issn = {{0039-0747}},
language = {{swe}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{647--672}},
publisher = {{Fahlbeckska stiftelsen}},
series = {{Statsvetenskaplig tidskrift}},
title = {{Den revolterande eliten eller den kreativa klassen? : Christopher Lasch, Richard Florida och det amerikanska presidentvalet 2024}},
url = {{https://journals.lub.lu.se/st/article/view/28413/24607}},
volume = {{127}},
year = {{2025}},
}