The Politics of Resentment in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election

Event Date: 

Thursday, April 13, 2017 - 4:00pm

Event Location: 

  • The Lane Room (Ellison 3824)

Katherine Cramer
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Cramer is the author of the 2016 book, The Politics of Resentment, which has become a resource for many people trying to make sense of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In her talk, she will explain how her ethnography with rural residents in Wisconsin revealed a pervasive and intense resentment toward cities, city dwellers, and the urban elite. Her fieldwork since 2007 suggests that many people in rural places perceive that they are not getting their fair share of attention, resources, or respect. She will explain how this perspective provided fertile ground for the election of Donald Trump.

Cramer is the Director of the Morgridge Center for Public Service and a Professor in the Political Science Department a the University of Wisconsin-Madison.