300461 The Blurred Boundaries of the Far-Right and Conservatism in US Politics (S) (SoSe 2026)

How do we draw the line between conservative and far-right politics? What values and political agendas do far-right groups pursue, as opposed to conservatives? Which actors and political strategies shape these different political currents—or make them seem virtually indistinguishable from one another?

In light of recent events in the United States, the lines between the political right and conservatism are becoming increasingly blurred. This seminar aims to explore how we can conceptualize and differentiate the two, or whether, in the US American context, they can no longer be viewed separately. We will examine the historical development of conservatism and the Republican Party to explain today's confusion regarding political positions. This involves exploring different theoretical approaches to conservatism and the far-right, while considering the fusion of these ideas and seemingly new trends, such as paleo-conservatism and Trumpism. In doing so, we alternate between classical and contemporary texts to gain a better understanding of the key players and their influence on the shaping of today’s political field.

Recommended reading:
Ganz, John (2024). When the Clock Broke. Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s, Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Mudde, Cas (2018). The far right in America, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group: London, New York.