[EAI Heard Commentary] The 2020 US Presidential Election Viewed Through Identity Politics: Biden's 'Values,' Sanders' 'Class,' and Trump's 'White Nationalism' – Which Will Prevail?

Editor's Note

The East Asia Institute (Director Yeoal Yeo) presents 'EAI Heard Commentary,' a content series designed to make expert analyses of major domestic and international issues more accessible and convenient. This second installment features commentary from Professor Son Byung-kwon of Chung-Ang University, who offers insights into the prospects of the 2020 US presidential election and corresponding preparedness measures for South Korea. Following President Trump's confirmation as the Republican nominee, the US is currently drawing global attention with its primaries to select a leading Democratic contender to challenge him. Candidates Sanders and Biden are each championing 'class-based identity' for America's working class and vulnerable populations, and 'identity based on American values' rooted in liberty, equality, and the rule of law, respectively, challenging Trump's 'America First' and 'white nationalist identity.' The author suggests that we must wait to see which identity—'class,' 'values,' or 'national'—Americans will choose, and proposes that South Korea analyze the power dynamics of each identity to formulate comprehensive preparedness strategies.

EAI Heard Commentary Script

Hello. The East Asia Institute (EAI) is presenting 'EAI Heard Commentary' to provide expert analyses of complex issues in a more accessible and convenient format. The second topic for 'EAI Heard Commentary' is the 2020 US presidential election.

Following President Trump's confirmation as the Republican nominee, the US is currently drawing global attention with its primaries to select a leading Democratic contender to challenge him. Candidates Sanders and Biden are each championing 'class-based identity' for America's working class and vulnerable populations, and 'identity based on American values' rooted in liberty, equality, and the rule of law, respectively, challenging Trump's 'America First' and white 'nationalist identity.' The East Asia Institute aims to examine the prospects of the 2020 US presidential election and South Korea's preparedness measures through the commentary of Professor Son Byung-kwon of Chung-Ang University. Shall we begin?

With the start of the Democratic primaries to select the party's nominee for the 2020 presidential election, beginning with the Iowa caucuses on February 3rd and the New Hampshire primary on the 11th, the US presidential election has gained momentum. After Senator Sanders' initial lead was somewhat diminished in South Carolina, where Biden secured a victory, Biden's subsequent wins in the Super Tuesday primaries on March 3rd and the mini-Super Tuesday on the 10th have made the Democratic race highly compelling, narrowing it down to a contest between two major candidates. As Sanders has indicated his intention to continue his campaign, the primaries are expected to proceed with Biden holding significant momentum. Primaries were held in Arizona, Florida, and Illinois on March 17th, and Biden's decisive victories in Florida and Illinois have further bolstered the narrative of his inevitable win. Sanders has indicated his intention to continue his campaign, and the primaries will proceed with Biden holding significant momentum. Meanwhile, a yellow light has appeared on President Trump's path to re-election.

The perspective on the 2020 US presidential election will vary among researchers and commentators. Some may focus on whether 'America First' policies will continue in terms of international politics, or whether a US-centered multilateral or bilateral alliance system will be restored. Others may focus on whether excessive US pressure, such as demands for defense cost-sharing, will continue in relation to the ROK-US alliance.

However, from the perspective of US domestic politics, the 2020 Democratic primaries and the subsequent general election can be seen as a battle among three distinct types of American identities. These three identities can be categorized as: the 'white nationalist identity' represented by President Trump; the 'identity of labor and the socially vulnerable' represented by Democratic candidate Sanders; and the 'identity related to American political values' represented by fellow Democratic candidate Biden. In essence, these are 'national identity,' 'class identity,' and 'American values identity.'

These three identities have been broadly selected based on the characteristics of each presidential candidate and their supporters. It is, of course, an oversimplification to view the supporters of each candidate as a group possessing only one identity. Supporters of each candidate may hold dual or triple identities. However, for the sake of simplifying the discussion, this is a plausible interpretation. These three types of identities are distinguished by fundamental questions such as, 'Whose nation is America?' and 'For whom does the US government exist?'

The 'national identity' represented by President Trump, as clearly demonstrated during the 2016 US presidential election, posits that Europeans are the true inheritors of America. This national identity is particularly evident among low-education, low-income blue-collar workers who feel discontent and anxiety towards traditional American pluralism, open immigration policies, and globalization. President Trump advocates for 'America First' to protect American sovereignty and the interests of white people, maintains anti-immigration policies, and pursues protectionist trade policies using tariffs as a weapon.

Senator Sanders' 'class identity' holds that the US government should primarily serve the working class and the vulnerable. Sanders emphasizes the struggles and disadvantages of the '99%' against the '1% income elite.' He argues that while large corporations, Wall Street financiers, and multinational corporations have effectively 'monopolized' wealth accumulated through free trade in the era of globalization, workers, youth, and impoverished immigrants are being sacrificed outside the social safety net. Therefore, Sanders believes that America should be a nation for these 99%, and that workers and the socially vulnerable belonging to this 99% are the true inheritors of America. This class identity of Sanders does not hide its strong left-wing populist tendency to divide people into 'them' and 'us.'

Finally, Biden's 'American values identity' can be understood as a commitment and pledge to the 'American Creed,' which America has consistently espoused since its independence, rather than to ethnicity or class. While the concepts of 'nation' and 'class,' which clearly distinguish 'them' and 'us,' have the effect of exposing the hypocrisy of pluralism and the stark reality of economic polarization, respectively, these identity criteria can exacerbate conflicts between different ethnic or racial groups in a multi-ethnic, multi-racial nation like the United States. Furthermore, in a country that has pursued market autonomy and free labor, they can stifle hope for upward mobility, thereby fueling the rise of populism. In contrast, as a traditional New Deal liberal, Biden views commitment to the American value system—including liberty, equality, the rule of law, human rights, limited government, and market autonomy—as the standard for American identity, based on the Democratic Party's tradition since the New Deal, emphasizing the strengthening of social cohesion and the role of the federal government.

From the perspective of President Trump's supporters, Biden appears to be someone who deliberately ignores the 'essence' of 'white America.' From the viewpoint of Sanders' supporters, Biden is seen as incompetent, unable to offer innovative solutions to the reality of economic polarization. Biden's campaign adheres to the traditional framework of New Deal liberalism and upholds America's traditional political values, making it neither provocative nor explosive; it is, in a word, 'traditional.' Nevertheless, it appears suitable for attracting moderate voters and stabilizing and making US domestic and foreign relations predictable.

Although this is a simplified classification, the current situation of the US Democratic primaries and the subsequent general election can be seen as a contest among these three types of American identity discourses. During the Trump administration, we have already witnessed an America unlike any seen before, revealing the provocative allure of national identity and the equally dire concerns it raises. Sanders' class identity, in its representation of the interests of white blue-collar workers, shares common ground with President Trump's platform, foreshadowing the continuation of a 'Sanders-style America First' on the international stage. Biden's American values identity, while lacking distinctiveness and being unprovocative, can offer a sense of stability to those weary of President Trump's unpredictable style and the irresponsible, provocative logic of populism. If Biden wins the Democratic primaries, a key point to watch will be the extent to which he incorporates Sanders' class identity into his general election campaign. The choice Americans will make among these three identities will be decided this November. For South Korea, it would be prudent to analyze the power dynamics of each identity and develop comprehensive preparedness strategies that address all three as a package.

As the 2020 US presidential election race officially began in March, it remains to be seen whether Biden will indeed face President Trump and whether he can dismantle the 'nationalist identity' and 'America First' policies that Trump champions. This has been 'EAI Heard Commentary,' with Kim Se-young. ■

This commentary is the first report in the EAI Special Report Series, [Future America 2030]: The Future of American Hegemony: Where is America Headed After Trump?published in December 2019. The Future America 2030 Special Report Series includes the following five reports.

1. Son Byung-kwon: The Rise of White Nationalist Identity Politics and the Future of America [Read Report]

2. Lee Soo-young: Demographic and Cultural Shifts in the US and the Future of America [Read Report]

3. Min Jeong-hoon: US Electoral Politics and the Future of America [Read Report]

4. Lee Jong-gon: US Executive Branch and Executive-Legislative Relations and the Future of America [Read Report]

5. Jeon Jae-sung: The Status of US Foreign Policy under the Trump Administration and the Future of America [Read Report]

■ Author: Son Byung-kwon_Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Chung-Ang University. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan. His main research areas include US politics, US foreign policy, and comparative legislative and party politics. His recent works include "Is US Congressional Politics Still a Model of Democracy?: The US Congress Captured by Party Politics" (2018) and "Understanding the Rise of American Nationalism in the Trump Era" (2017).

■ Produced and Edited by: Kim Se-young, EAI Research Fellow

Inquiries: 02 2277 1683 (ext. 208) I sykim@eai.or.kr

'EAI Heard Commentary' is a content series designed to provide easier and more convenient access to in-depth analyses of major domestic and international issues by experts. Please cite the source when quoting. EAI is an independent research institute independent of any partisan interests. The claims and opinions expressed in reports, journals, and books published by EAI are not attributable to EAI and solely represent the views of the respective authors.