Mamdani is forced to adjust his political program/ no Republican has Trump’s charisma

According to Isna, in recent years, academic researches about the role of cities in the evolution of the political structures of the United States have gained special importance. Richard Franklin Bensel, a distinguished professor of political science at Cornell University in New York, is one of the researchers who has provided a new understanding of power dynamics in the United States by focusing on the relationship between political economy, party institutions, and urban structures. From his point of view, cities are not merely administrative or population units, but historical arenas for the formation of class coalitions and the redefinition of political identities.

In ISNA’s interview with this university professor who specializes in the fields of American politics, parties and elections, an attempt was made to examine the recent changes in urban politics, including the election of figures such as “Zahran Mamdani” within the framework of this institutional and historical analysis. In this regard, the main question is whether these developments are a sign of a change in the social base of the Democratic Party and the emergence of a new force in American urban politics, or whether structural limitations and deep-rooted class and regional divisions will continue to prevent a sustainable shift?

Mamdani’s victory has a limited impact on the future of the Democratic Party at the national level

In response to the question, “Is the election of people like Zahran Mamdani, who represent progressive urban movements, a sign of a shift in the social base of the Democratic Party and what does this trend mean for the long-term structure of urban politics in the United States?”, Bansel said: Zahran Mamdani’s victory in the New York mayoral elections has limited impact on the future of the Democratic Party at the national level, because this city is very different in terms of ethnic, racial and class composition, and its politics has historically been much more left-wing than most of the country. is Even in New York City itself, Mamdani will have to adjust his political program; Of course, if he hopes to be able to implement it.

He answered the question that “in your works, cities play an important role in the formation of the government and the political economy of the United States. How do you interpret the emergence of more left-leaning politicians in big cities in the context of emerging class divisions?” He noted: “Except for the emergence of younger and somewhat bolder politicians in the cities, I’m not sure there will be any significant change.” Major American cities have very complex political economies, and this complexity limits political change. Moreover, these cities already have significant class divisions in their political structure.

Trump has turned the class structure of the Democratic Party upside down among white voters

This university professor answered the question, “Is the Democratic Party today mainly a party of the urban middle classes or does it still have a meaningful relationship with the working class, and has this party moved towards identity-based coalitions or is it still capable of providing comprehensive economic programs?” He noted that Donald Trump has been so successful in attracting working-class and middle-class whites that he has almost turned the class structure of the Democratic Party upside down among white voters. On the other hand, the Democratic Party continues to appeal to lower-class blacks and Latinos. One of the problems facing Democrats is that “identity” politics, which targets racial and ethnic groups, is largely incompatible with efforts to recapture traditional Democratic tendencies among lower-class whites. This is a problem that the party must face somehow.

In response to this question, Richard Bensel said, “You have previously stated in your works that the weakening of party institutions can lead to the emergence of charismatic leadership. In this context, how do you assess the state of the Republican Party after Trump and has this party become primarily an identity-based organization?”, said: The future of the Republican Party after Trump is very uncertain, but one thing is likely: none of the possible successors to the leadership of the party will have anything similar to Trump’s charismatic appeal. Charisma is not a phenomenon that transfers easily, if at all, between leaders, and Trump’s reluctance to build a stable political organization also means that there is no organization to institutionalize his movement.

The election of Mamdani will intensify the gap between the city and the countryside

This university professor answered the question that, from his point of view, “What role do collective emotions such as anger or identity demands play in contemporary collective politics in the United States, and have these emotions replaced policy-based reasoning?” It stated: Donald Trump’s charisma is heavily dependent on the almost irrational anger among working-class and middle-class whites; Anger that stems from a deep cultural and emotional belief that their identity and status has been undermined by identity politics such as affirmative action. In many ways, this reaction is historical and situational, and I suspect that it is itself limiting; In the sense that this reaction has eliminated some of the policies that initially caused it to appear.

In response to the issue that, in his opinion, “Are cities in the United States becoming the main units of political action in contrast to the federal and state levels, and what consequences will such a change have for the future of national political parties?”, this researcher said: The most important effect of Trump’s dominance in American politics was not that the importance of big cities increased, but rather the mobilization of rural populations throughout the country in response to the historical dominance of cities. From this point of view, for example, the election of Mamdani will only intensify the gap between the city and the countryside in the country.

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