What is Nationalism: A Conversation with Chris DeMuth

What is Nationalism: A Conversation with Chris DeMuth

Author: The Claremont Institute April 16, 2019 Duration: 50:25

'Nationalism.' It’s a word getting thrown around a lot these days. Some say it is code for racism and xenophobia. Others contend it is the natural expression of any nation’s people. What does nationalism mean, and how does the concept apply to American politics today? These are the questions at the heart of an essay in the Winter 2019 issue of the Claremont Review of Books titled “Trumpism, Nationalism, and Conservatism.” It’s author is Chris DeMuth, who joins host Ben Judge in this episode of The American Mind Podcast.

In this interview, you’ll hear about DeMuth's move towards appreciating President Trump, as well as a word of warning to conservative organizations dealing with Republican presidents. But at the heart of the conversation is this question: Are Trumpism, Nationalism, and Conservatism synonymous?

Christopher DeMuth is a distinguished Fellow at the Hudson Institute. From 1986 to 2008, he was the President of the American Enterprise Institute. His experience in government spans from working for Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the Nixon administration to serving in the Reagan administration as the Administrator for Information and Regulatory Affairs, colloquially known as the “Deregulation Czar.”

*** 

Recommended Reading: "Trumpism, Nationalism, and Conservatism"

Visit The American Mind for more great content.

And if you have feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you at americanmind@claremont.org



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit claremontinstitute.substack.com/subscribe

Behind the daily headlines and political noise, there's a deeper current of ideas shaping the nation. The American Mind Podcast, from The Claremont Institute, digs into that foundational layer. It moves beyond surface-level debate to examine the philosophical assumptions and historical principles that actually drive American life. In each episode, hosts sit down with Claremont scholars and a range of thoughtful critics to untangle the real causes of our cultural moment. These conversations aren't about quick takes or partisan scoring; they're sustained explorations of how concepts from history, philosophy, and political theory manifest in our society, news cycles, and personal lives. Tuning in, you'll hear rigorous but accessible discussions that connect timeless thought to contemporary upheaval. This podcast provides a space for listeners to step back from the frenzy and consider the underlying forces-the enduring ideals and the new challenges-that are continually remaking the American experiment. It’s for anyone who suspects there’s more to the story and wants to engage with the substantive ideas, not just the symptoms, of our political and cultural reality.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 429

The American Mind Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Fog of Trade War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:44
Trump announces a sweeping tariff regime, then pauses it for 90 days—why? As a tactic to renegotiate trade deals? To reshore manufacturing? Some combination of both? With midterms just over the horizon, the stakes of thi…
Task Force Dragging On [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:05
Attempting to retroactively set the narrative of U.S. involvement in Ukraine on behalf of the intelligence community, journalist Adam Entous of the New York Times has painfully revealed in his latest piece the utter inab…
Mixed Signals [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:04
Atlantic reporter Jeff Goldberg was mistakenly added to a national security group chat, leading to a DC media feeding frenzy—is there anything of substance to be gleaned from this goof? Meanwhile, Jay Bhattacharya—an ear…
Tren Wreck [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:03
You’re fired. Trump, by executive order, has moved to terminate federal contracts with law firm Perkins Coie for its role in promoting the 2016 Russiagate conspiracy and otherwise influencing elections—sparking fervorous…
BIPOC Cholbe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:58
First, they came for the green card-holding terror groupies—then they came for...us? Not exactly. But the recent detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University protest organizer who fought "for the total eradication…
Red State Strategy | Cincinnatus Series [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:07
The Trump administration’s approach to governance presents an opening for a new federalism to take hold. States may now be incentivized to aggressively take charge of education; ambitiously compete for businesses plantin…
Trump's Cards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:09
In his first address to Congress, President Trump goaded Democrats into a limp, performative resistance while he rattled off an impressive list of achievements. Previously, at the White House, Trump had met with Ukrainia…
Cell Phones in Schools | Cincinnatus Series [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:05
Silicon Valley elites have pushed school-provided tablets and phones into K-12 schools, replacing textbooks, real human interaction, and traditional education, undermining children's ability to focus—and parents' power t…
Press Pass Fail [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:21
The White House has taken charge of issuing press permissions, prompting wails of horror from the White House Correspondents’ Association—but who’s really compromising the media’s authority and independence? Meanwhile, T…
Family Policy | Cincinnatus Series [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:09
Following the social revolutions of decades past, liberal sex education reforms, and the devaluation of marriage, Conservatives can no longer ignore the social aspects of family life—paramount to preserving and promoting…