Publication Date
Spring 4-25-2017
School
Helms School of Government; School of Communication
Major
Government: Politics and Policy; Individualized Studies
Keywords
Donald J. Trump, 2016 US Presidential Election, Media, Silent Majority
Disciplines
American Politics | Epistemology | Ethics and Political Philosophy | Political History | Television | United States History
Recommended Citation
Miller, Joshua K., "How Trump Won: Media and the Silent Majority in the 2016 US Presidential Election" (2017). Senior Honors Theses. 695.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/695
Abstract
Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign ended in victory because of two powerful forces: enormous media advantage gained through sensationalism and a strong coalition made up of evangelicals, pragmatic conservatives, and the silent majority. The work of Neil Postman sheds light on the underlying cultural foundation of Trump’s media advantage. Parallels from the video game industry explain how intentional sensationalism played into Trump’s success in the primary process. Evangelicals and pragmatic conservatives joined Trump’s coalition in spite of his scandals, and Eric Hoffer’s work helps explain his appeal to the silent majority. Ultimately, the patterns of Trump’s victory yield significant learning opportunities for future political campaigns seeking to capitalize on the same cultural trends.
Included in
American Politics Commons, Epistemology Commons, Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons, Political History Commons, Television Commons, United States History Commons
