Demagogues always do well in economic downturns, but this surreal presidential cycle has so far been defined by the rise of populist anger during an economic expansion.
One reason why: The recovery from the Great Recession has not been equally distributed. America’s poorest ZIP Codes have seen a deepening of economic despair during the Obama years while the wealthiest ZIP Codes have boomed. Harnessing the anger that creates for political gain is easy. Proposing solutions to the problem is much harder—especially in an election year when policy specifics have taken a backseat to bluster.
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By: John Avlon, The Daily Beast
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