Delegitimization and US presidential electoral campaigns, 1896-1980

Abstract

The essay focuses on delegitimization of one’s political opponent as a discursive strategy in US political elections from 1896 to 1980. Starting with a definition of delegitimization as a means of contesting the legitimacy of the opponent’s aspiration to power by turning him/her into an enemy outside the constitutional perimeter, the author highlights the circumstances that conduced to political delegitimization tactics in US presidential campaigns, as well as the stock themes in use over the various periods.