Response to Allen Dunn’s “Ethics, Identity, and Political Mediation in Right-Wing American Populism”

Abstract:Allen Dunn’s article is based on American right-wing populist groups that feel undermined and alienated. Right-wing populist groups feel a sense of abandonment and that their real (or perceived) demands are not being addressed by the government. Dunn’s article could have advanced this conversation by addressing questions such as these: How does a federalist democracy like the United States reconcile opposition voices (or ideological-minority voices)? Likewise, who defines liberty, oppression, and subversion or fairness in society? And since all populist (left- and right-wing) groups tend to be anti-pluralist, how can political mediation in American-style democracy exist?