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During the semester, I shall post course material and students will comment on it. Students are also free to comment on any aspect of American politics, either current or historical. There are only two major limitations: no coarse language, and no derogatory comments about people at the Claremont Colleges. This blog is on the open Internet, so post nothing that you would not want a potential employer to see. Syllabus: http://gov20h.blogspot.com/2023/08/draft-introduction-to-american-politics.html

Monday, October 29, 2018

Brazil's Donald Trump

The election of Jair Bolsonaro to the Brazilian presidency came Sunday after a tumultuous campaign season and a political scandal that brought down a former president and many high-tier politicians in Brazil. Bolsonaro has been compared frequently to Donald Trump for his fervent nationalism, open dislike of mainstream press and journalists, and perception by supporters as a "strongman" who could save Brazil from the corruption plaguing it.

Bolsonaro ran a campaign dependent on the suppression of journalists, and frequently sought to discredit Brazil's most trusted newspapers, in a similar fashion to Donald Trump's denigration of CNN, NY Times, Washington Post, and the LA Times, among others. Additionally, many Bolsonaro supporters spread conspiracy videos about his opponent through platforms such as WhatsApp, mirroring the spread of fake news about Clinton in the 2016 election by Trump supporters.

His election has prompted fear from women, minority, and LGBT groups in Brazil, who are worried his election could trigger a new era in Brazilian politics that irreparably harms its young democracy and strips away the rights of the most vulnerable in society.
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