Populist Etatism

While researching the ideological differences between traditional Republican conservatism and the newer MAGA movement, I came across an unfamiliar term: Populist Etatism. This term describes a government taking a central role in directing the economy. It uses anti-elite rhetoric framed as a moral crusade for the “pure people”. In this political model, a strongman leader implements policies ostensibly protecting the working class from greedy corporations and a corrupt elite.

Within the concept of Populist Etatism is a movement that seeks to justify the expansion of state power as it sidelines traditional checks and balances. I would say that this part of the description fits the MAGA movement. Where it differs is in its substitution of immigrants and now communists, for the evil corrupt elite. Corporations and the wealthy elite just seem to benefit more substantially with reforms we are told are designed to protect jobs and benefit the working class. The reality for the working class is that they are told that they need to be more patient

Also, among the core characteristics of Populist Etatism, is a distribution of benefits and subsidies directed at the leader’s base thus cultivating political loyalty. In this last characteristic I see some elements where their MAGA leader has promised many of these things for his faithful base, but that much of that promise is like the carrot at the end of the stick the horse never gets to enjoy.

By way of anecdote, I recently read an article where a small gas station chain had lowered gas prices to $3.47 a gallon. The 47 cents was in honor of the 47th president. A truck driver who had just saved $25 on his fill up was quoted as saying, “Thank you President Trump.” This statement of course ignores the fact that it was Trump’s war in Iran that caused the high gas prices in the first place.

The shift away from Reagan conservativism in this new MAGA movement is a populism that treats state power, not as evil, but as a weapon used on behalf of its base. They seek to occupy and purge federal institutions to force a targeted agenda. The promise to use this new power to benefit “the base” sounds good to those who assume that they are part of that group of beneficiaries. It is only later that they realize “the base,” is a more exclusive monied conclave than would ever include them. That’s when it is too late.

We are now at somewhat of a tipping point where that realization is taking hold. Disillusionment is already chipping away at Trump’s support. The original 50 percent of Americans that were the MAGA base, are now counted somewhere in the mid-thirties. This remaining MAGA core consists of those willing to sacrifice long-standing conservative stances for an expression of personal loyalty bordering on a cult-like idolatry of their leader.

The three-week war with Iran is now in its fifth month with no end in sight. The base is still dealing with inflation and high gas prices. Cuts to healthcare, education, and other social benefits have added to their ire. While they may be happy with the result of the immigration round up, some may feel it got out of hand. The killing of innocent individuals by mistake with the excuse of “public safety” is wearing thin.

The Trump imposed tariffs have resulted in job losses in the manufacturing sector and increased production costs for American businesses. Factories have shed over 100,000 jobs in the first year of the tariffs. Higher prices for imported materials have forced companies to downsize. While the administration can reference isolated blue-collar wage growth, the net effect has been negative. Pointing to almost giddy stock market numbers that have little impact on wage earners, brings no joy to Mudville.

The MAGA movement has scrambled modern alliances within conservative America. Free market conservatism has been replaced by right-wing populism. The old coalition of high-earning professionals who provided fiscal ideology and a working-class drawn by social conservatism, is no more. Will the MAGA Magician be able to pull another rabbit out of his comb-over? The mid-terms in a few months will answer some of these questions.