Fifteenth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

Even though there are many differences between U.S and Turkish politics, current leaders of these countries have various similarities. Specifically, today both are leaders of highly polarized societies. In this paper I address the following question: Are these two leaders the causal factors in creating polarization or are they the consequences of polarization that is already present in respective societies? In order to understand this question, it is important to analyze why people of these two different cases elected their respective politicians. In this study, using Mill’s most different systems method, I argue that preceding economic crisis, grievance based politics and outsider status might be strong factors that resulted in a shift from class-based politics to value-based politics in both countries, leading to the elections of Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I also argue that value-based politics tend to over-lap with populist authoritarian policies, which further the polarization of the respective societies.