In 1963, the historian Richard Hofstadter gave a famous lecture at Oxford (later an essay in Harper’s) arguing that a “paranoid style” was a recurrent strain in American politics. Hofstadter cited examples ranging from the Anti-Masons of the 1830s to MCarthyism. Today, pundits often turn to the concept of a “paranoid style” when trying to explain Trumpism. Why has Hofstadter’s idea been so influential? And does it really explain anything at all? Adam discusses these questions with Nick Witham, the author of Popularizing the Past, a brilliant new study of Cold War-era historians who shaped an understanding of American history far beyond the groves of academia.
The Last Best Hope? is the podcast of the Rothermere American Institute, University of Oxford. Presenter: Adam Smith. Producer: Emily Williams.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Podkasten The Last Best Hope? er innebygd på denne siden fra en åpen RSS feed. Alle filer, beskrivelser, illustrasjoner og andre metadata fra RSS-feeden tilhører podcasteieren og er ikke tilknyttet eller validert av Podplay.