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Abstract

Donald Trump shocked the American people when he ran for president in 2016 and then again when he won the election. Trumpism is the political ideology surrounding him as a politician, using populism, divisiveness, and scapegoating. Aspects of Trumpism can be seen utilized by past presidents; America’s political history of discord also helped him take hold of the White House. Trumpism caused a distrust of democracy in the American people and a divide within the conservative party. The 2016 election was a turning point in American politics that will lead to an increased divide between the two parties and the presidency changing hands between those parties incessantly.

About the Author

Brooke Ballhaus is a Senior at Wakefield School, Class of 2022, and plans on attending Stanford University in the fall. She intends on majoring in Computer Science Engineering with a minor in Political Science. She has had an interest in politics from a very young age, venturing on to research it independently as well as serve as President and Vice President of her school's Model UN team. Ballhaus worried about the state of her country's government and wrote this thesis to provide caution for the polarized and divisive path that the American federal government is currently following.

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