Appealing to the people: a content analysis of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign

Abstract

In the 2016 U.S presidential election, Donald Trump defeated several experienced opponents to become the president of the United States. However, he did so without having held any previous political office. This thesis argues that Trump's use of populist rhetoric helped him gain the vote of the electorate. Particularly, Trump implemented the rhetoric of right wing populism characterized by xenophobic and anti-immigrant sentiment that resonated with an electorate disenchanted with the current political establishment's inability to protect its current socioeconomic status from foreign influences. A content analysis was employed to examine the campaign rhetoric of the major party presidential candidates.