Toward progressive narratives of American identity

Abstract

Donald Trump is one of many leaders who have come to power in recent years championing right-wing nationalisms often called populist. He has done so by advancing an “America First” vision of U.S. history, identity, and purpose that many find compelling. Liberals and progressives in America and elsewhere have failed to counter with politically resonant narratives of national identity that champion greater and more egalitarian inclusiveness. This article offers three criteria for devising such narratives: Resonance, respectfulness, and reticulation. It also contends that America’s democratic traditions, its constitutional traditions aimed at achieving a more perfect union without effacing legitimate diversity, and its quest to realize the goals of the Declaration of Independence over time all provide rich resources for stories of American peoplehood that canmeet these criteria and, perhaps, defeat narrower nationalist visions.