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This book aims to put the shocking events of 2016-17 in to a long-term, historical perspective. The author traces long-term and largely un-linked shifts in the economy from globalization to automation to uncover the deeper sources of populist outbreaks.

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The Great Disruption: Understanding the Populist Forces Behind Trump, Brexit, and LePen aims to put the shocking events of 2016-17 into a long-term, historical perspective. The seemingly disparate and separately discussed election of Donald Trump, Brexit vote, success of Marine LePen´s National Front Party, and the wider spread of populism have an overlooked commonality: They all start with a similar core constituency of disaffected older blue collar workers. Using a data-driven analysis, author Anil Hira shows that racism and xenophobia are linked to economic populism-xenophobia becoming widespread under conditions of economic stress. Hira shows further that since economic stress is felt very deeply, conventional solutions are inadequate. There is a perception among the affected group that politicians can not offer "normal" solutions and thus turn to populism. The Great Disruption traces long-term and largely un-linked shifts in the economy from globalization to automation to uncover the deeper sources of populist outbreaks. This book demonstrates that racial and immigrant attitudes have not changed, rather any backlash is a scapegoating effect of economic loss and dislocation. Populism not only misdiagnoses the situation but also misses the wider long-term threats of climate change, demographic shifts, and the rise of China. Recognizing the transformational nature of such threats depends on the maturation of the Millennial generation and its willingness to evolve towards a more global style of governance, in the process rejecting the shallow promises of populism.

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List of Figures and Tables - Preface - Acknowledgments - Introduction: Why Populism Is Not Just Trump - The Economic Roots of Populism, Something Old, Something New - A Snapshot-Tying Together the Tumultuous Events of 2016-17 - The Seemingly Paradoxical Nature of Social Values Towards Race and Immigration in the Populist Wave of 2016 - Empty Rhetoric and Empty Promises-Examining the Phony Solutions of the New Populists - Underlying Force Number 1: "American Carnage"-A Codeword for Long-term Economic Decline in the West and the Shrinking Middle Class - Underlying Force Number 2: The Collapse of Manufacturing From Globalization, Financialization, and Automation - Force Number 3: The Rise of China - Force Number 4: Rapid Environmental Deterioration - Force Number 5: Demographics and the Raw Deal Given to Millennials - Global Problems Need Global Solutions - Index.

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Anil Hira is Professor of Political Science at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. He is a political economist specializing in industrial, technology, and energy policies for development, of which he has written extensively. His current interests are on climate change strategies for the developing world. Hira is a frequent contributor to media outlets in Canada.

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