12 - The Indispensability of Dominance

Summary

How did Donald Trump become the preeminent figure in American politics over the past decade, and why has the Democratic Party struggled to extinguish his threat despite his unpopularity and the unpopularity of his policies? The answer lies in an area that liberal political strategists have not focused on and political scientists have neglected: the politics of dominance. While twenty-first-century liberals have focused on offering more attractive policies, illiberal leaders such as Trump have grasped that politics is a dominance competition. “High-dominance” leaders strive to make opinion, embrace us-versus-them framing, double down on provocative statements and positions, stay on the offensive, take risks, and use entertaining, provocative language. “Low-dominance” leaders study polls and tell voters what they think they want to hear, fear “othering” opponents, walk back or qualify controversial statements, play defense, abhor risk, and use bromidic language. Restoring the dominance advantage the Democrats enjoyed at times during the twentieth century is a key to defeating Trumpism.