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

Editor's Note

The East Asia Institute (Director: Son Yeol) 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 garnering global attention with its primaries to select a leading Democratic contender to oppose 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' such as liberty, equality, and the rule of law, respectively, challenging Trump's 'America First' and 'white nationalist identity.' The author suggests that it remains to be seen which of these identities—'class,' 'values,' or 'national'—Americans will choose, and proposes that South Korea analyze the power dynamics of each identity to formulate comprehensive countermeasures.

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 of '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 oppose 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' such as liberty, equality, and the rule of law, respectively, challenging Trump's 'America First' and white 'national identity.' Through the commentary of Professor Son Byung-kwon of Chung-Ang University, the East Asia Institute aims to examine the prospects of the 2020 US presidential election and South Korea's preparedness measures. Shall we begin?

With the start of the Democratic primaries to select the party's presidential nominee for 2020, 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 blunted 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 has since achieved decisive victories in Florida and Illinois, further bolstering the narrative of his inevitable win. Sanders has stated his intention to continue his campaign, so the primaries will proceed with Biden holding considerable momentum. Meanwhile, President Trump's path to re-election faces challenges.

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 contest among three distinct types of American identity. 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 each candidate's support base 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 the fundamental questions: 'Whose nation is America?' and 'For whom does the American government exist?'

The 'national identity,' represented by President Trump, posits that the true inheritors of America are white Europeans, as clearly demonstrated during the 2016 US presidential election. This national identity is particularly evident among less educated, lower-income blue-collar workers who feel discontent and anxiety towards America's traditional 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 leverage.

Senator Sanders' 'class identity' holds that the US government should primarily serve the working class and the vulnerable. Sanders emphasizes the struggles and disadvantages faced by the '99%' against the '1% income elite.' He argues that while large corporations, Wall Street financiers, and multinational corporations have effectively monopolized the 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 America should be a nation for these 99%, and that the true owners of America are the workers and the socially vulnerable belonging to this 99%. This class identity of Sanders does not hide its left-wing populist tendency to clearly divide 'them' and 'us.'

Finally, Biden's 'American values identity' refers to a commitment and pledge to the 'American Creed,' which America has consistently articulated since its War of Independence, rather than to nationality 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 centrist 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 presidential general election can be understood as a contest among these three types of American identity discourse. During the Trump administration, we have already witnessed an America unlike any seen before, fully 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' policy internationally. 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. A key point to watch if Biden wins the Democratic nomination will be the extent to which he incorporates the class identity of his rival Sanders into his general election campaign. Ultimately, the American people will decide which of these three identities to choose by November of this year. For South Korea, it would be prudent to analyze the power dynamics of each identity and prepare comprehensive countermeasures 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 'national identity' and 'America First' policies that Trump champions. This has been 'EAI Heard Commentary,' with Kim Se-young. ■

The original commentary by Professor Son Byung-kwon can be found through the "Commentary Download" link below.

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 Trump Administration's Foreign Policy 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 primary research areas include American politics, US foreign policy, and comparative legislative and party politics. His recent works include "Is American 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).

■ Responsible Editor: 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 accessible and 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 institution unaffiliated with any partisan interests. The claims and opinions expressed in reports, journals, and books published by EAI are not attributable to EAI and represent solely the views of the individual author.