Dog Whistle Politics

This paper offers an in-depth and interdisciplinary reading of a masterpiece of political oratory, the so-called ‘We have triumphed’ (in Greek: Nenikikamen), which was delivered by Archbishop Makarios III on the 1st of March 1959, a few days after the ratification of the Zurich and London Agreements which provided for the independence of Cyprus. The historical value and political gravity of the speech that aimed to solidify popular support for independence over the perennial desire of the Greek Cypriots for enosis, the union of the island with Greece, make an updated examination of its linguistic and rhetorical features important in explaining how Makarios attempted to win over the audience and persuade it to accept a political fait accompli.

Interesting article by Kate Manne looking at the role of gender prejudice (among white women!!) in leading white women to vote for Trump. She has a particularly vivid and insightful discussion of all the rumor-mongering about Clinton's health as dog whistle sexism that had real bite in terms of public opinion and among white women in particular.

Political advertising is changing. This chapter considers some of the implications of this for the democratic process. I begin with recent reports of online political advertising. From this, two related concerns emerge. The first is that online political advertisements sometimes occur in the dark, and the second is that they can involve sending different messages to different groups. I consider these issues in turn. This involves an extended discussion of the importance of publicity and discussion in democracy, and a comparison between dog whistles and dark advertisements. Through this, I look to outline some of the ways in which online political advertisements can undermine the democratic process.

The 2016 U.S. presidential election can be described as nostalgic. On one hand, there was the fond remembrance of the Clinton administration characterized by a period of economic prosperity which overshadowed the more disastrous aftermath of various policies (the crime bill, the welfare reform, the Defense of Marriage Act, the repeal of the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act, etc.). On the other, the 2016 election brought to the surface a dormant longing for a privileged past rooted in open discrimination, inequality, segregation, and white supremacy, echoed by Donald Trump’s campaign. The Republican candidate had won the party’s nomination by openly and devoutly proselytizing against minority groups that allegedly threaten the fabric, integrity, and security of the United States. The more ethnic stereotypical caricatures and outright lies he employed in his speeches, the more successful his primary campaign was and the more he unnerved the Republican establishment, the general electorate, and...