While the 2016 presidential election has come to a close, College of the Holy Cross faculty and students continue to talk politics with the press.
Donald Brand, professor of political science, continues to publish op-eds for multinational business magazine, Fortune. In one article, Brand spotlights the undermining of Congress and success of populism in the United States when it appeals to the passion of the voters.
“Now, a populist outsider has captured the pinnacle of power in the American system: the presidency. Trump’s success will encourage other populists on the left and the right to find a path to power,” he wrote.
Mathew Schmalz, associate professor of religious studies, has published a series of op-eds also appearing in Fortune. Schmalz details the reasoning behind the substantial increase in Catholic votership compared to the 2012 election. The article discusses how the Trump turnaround resulted from the “deep antipathy of cultural elites who are perceived as not only being tone deaf to Catholic sensibilities, but also as actively antagonistic to them.”
“It remains to be seen whether Trump will deliver the protections, recognition and vision hoped for by the Catholics who voted for him,” wrote Schmalz. “My sense is that the disconnect between many Catholics and the Washington establishment will remain, but will have more fault lines than seen under the Obama administration: Issues of character and commitment to democratic norms are important to American Catholics, precisely because they are both American and Catholic.”
Overseas, Holy Cross students studying abroad in Galicia spoke with ‘La Voz de Galicia,’ a local Spanish newspaper. In a video, students, many dressed in their purple pride, discussed their thoughts on election observations, past administration and candidates in Spanish.
Media Coverage:
- Fortune, Nov. 30: A Reformed Obamacare Must Be Renamed Trumpcare
- Fortune, Nov. 16: Only Lobbyists Can Help Trump ‘Drain the Swamp'
- Fortune, Nov. 9: Populism is Congress’s Next Biggest Threat
- Telegram & Gazette, Nov. 9: Local Observers Say Trump Presidency Hard to Predict
- Fortune, Nov. 9: How the Support of Catholics Helped Donald Trump’s Victory
Related Information:
- Holy Cross Gears Up for the 2016 Election, Faculty Talk Politics in the Media
- Presidential Election Experts Available at Holy Cross to Discuss Candidates, Domestic and Foreign Issues
This "Holy Cross in the News" item by Kelsey Littlefield '17
