Performance, Theatricality and the US Presidency

Explores the role of performance in US presidential politics Combines theoretical argument and original interviews with leaders in U.S. presidential speechwriting Proposes a new perspective on the contemporary rise of mainstreamed populism by exploring features of populist-style politics through the lens of distrust Interdisciplinary exploration of the role and function of performance in representative democracy that fully integrates politics and theatre/performance perspectives Focuses on U.S. presidential politics since Watergate, whilst contextualizing recent developments through historical case studies from the French Revolution to early and turn-of-the-century American presidents The erosion of trust in politicians and political institutions is a major challenge in early twenty-first-century democratic politics, not least in the United States. This book argues that, rather than being a flaw or corruption, the potential for political distrust must be understood as an essential feature of representative democracy because representation works through performance. The book explores performance as a constellation of factors: scripts, embodiment, ideas of selfhood, and historical norms and ideals. It draws on key scholarship of political representation, rhetoric, and populism; on theories of performativity, theatricality, and acting; and on interviews the author conducted with political speechwriters spanning presidential administrations and campaigns from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama to demonstrate both that distrust is inherent in representative politics and that in mainstreamed populism distrust becomes a focal point around which the theatre of politics revolves.