Make Us Great Again: The Causes and Consequences of Declinism in Great Powers
2020-08
Loading...
View/Download File
Persistent link to this item
Statistics
View StatisticsJournal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Title
Make Us Great Again: The Causes and Consequences of Declinism in Great Powers
Authors
Published Date
2020-08
Publisher
Type
Thesis or Dissertation
Abstract
Dominant narratives of international decline emerge in great powers frequently, often independent of ‘objective’ measures of international decline. Such narratives frequently sustain policies of global expansion to save face, regain lost glory, and reverse decline. Yet we have little understanding of when and why narratives of international decline become dominant, why they resonate, or their policy consequences. When, and why, does declinism emerge and become salient in great powers? As narratives of decline become or are dominant, what policies are advanced in the name of reversing the country’s international decline? Using computerized text analyses of UK parliamentary speech and newspapers and US congressional and presidential speech and newspapers, I track declinism in political discourse in both countries between 1945 and the 2000s. I then explain when declinism becomes a live issue in great powers. I show how different narratives of decline prescribe different polices or behaviors for overcoming decline.
Description
University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation.August 2020. Major: Political Science. Advisor: Ronald Krebs. 1 computer file (PDF); vii, 360 pages.
Related to
Replaces
License
Collections
Series/Report Number
Funding information
Isbn identifier
Doi identifier
Previously Published Citation
Suggested citation
Ralston, Robert. (2020). Make Us Great Again: The Causes and Consequences of Declinism in Great Powers. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/217150.
Content distributed via the University Digital Conservancy may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor. By using these files, users agree to the Terms of Use. Materials in the UDC may contain content that is disturbing and/or harmful. For more information, please see our statement on harmful content in digital repositories.