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The Trump Era

The rise of MAGA, the presidency, January 6, Project 2025, and the transformation of American politics from 2016 to present.

📚 12 courses 📑 76 chapters 🎓 Political Science
I

The Rise of MAGA

Pre-2016 Context and Grievances
9 chapters • The conditions that made Trump possible
▾
  1. 1. Economic and Cultural Shifts Before 2016
  2. 2. The 2008 Financial Crisis and Working-Class Discontent
  3. 3. Right-Wing Media Ecosystems and Talk Radio
  4. 4. The Tea Party Movement and Grassroots Backlash
  5. 5. Birtherism, Obama Backlash, and Racial Polarization
  6. 6. Immigration as a Wedge Issue
  7. 7. The Decline of Local News and the Rise of National Tribalism
  8. 8. Gingrich, Limbaugh, and the Long Road to Combat Politics
  9. 9. Populist Anger and Anti-Establishment Sentiment
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The 2016 Campaign and Election
10 chapters • How Trump won the presidency
▾
  1. 1. The Republican Primary: How Trump Defeated Sixteen Candidates
  2. 2. The Democratic Primary: Clinton, Sanders, and the Party's Internal Fight
  3. 3. Trump's Messaging and 'Make America Great Again'
  4. 4. Clinton vs Trump: Policy Contrasts and Competing Narratives
  5. 5. Media Coverage and the 'Earned Media' Advantage
  6. 6. Social Media, Disinformation, and Foreign Interference
  7. 7. The Access Hollywood Tape and October Surprises
  8. 8. The Comey Letter and the FBI's Role
  9. 9. The Electoral College Victory and the Popular Vote Loss
  10. 10. Rural and Rust Belt Realignment
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Movement, Brand, and Base
9 chapters • MAGA as identity and culture
▾
  1. 1. Who Joined the MAGA Coalition and Why
  2. 2. The Red Hat and the Iconography of MAGA
  3. 3. Rallies as Ritual: Symbols, Music, and Identity Performance
  4. 4. Evangelical Christianity and the MAGA Alliance
  5. 5. MAGA Media: Breitbart, Fox, OAN, and Newsmax
  6. 6. Online Communities, Memes, and Radicalization
  7. 7. Small-Dollar Fundraising and the Trump Donor Base
  8. 8. State and Local MAGA Adaptation
  9. 9. MAGA as a Brand Beyond Trump Himself
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II

Governing and Conflict

Trump in Office (2017-2020)
10 chapters • Policies, courts, and COVID
▾
  1. 1. The Transition and First Hundred Days
  2. 2. The Travel Ban and Early Immigration Actions
  3. 3. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
  4. 4. Regulatory Rollback Across Agencies
  5. 5. Judicial Appointments and the Supreme Court
  6. 6. Trade Wars: Tariffs on China, NAFTA Renegotiation, and Allies
  7. 7. Foreign Policy: North Korea, Iran, NATO, and the Withdrawal Pattern
  8. 8. Charlottesville, Race, and the Race-Conflict Moments
  9. 9. Attacks on Media, 'Fake News,' and the 'Deep State'
  10. 10. COVID-19 Response and Public Trust
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Impeachments, Investigations, and Norms
10 chapters • Mueller, Ukraine, and accountability
▾
  1. 1. The Russia Story and Early Counterintelligence Work
  2. 2. The Mueller Investigation: Scope, Findings, and Limits
  3. 3. The Mueller Report and Its Public Reception
  4. 4. The Ukraine Call and First Impeachment
  5. 5. The Senate Trial of the First Impeachment
  6. 6. January 6, the Second Impeachment, and the Trial
  7. 7. Inspector General Firings and Whistleblower Retaliation
  8. 8. Family Business, Emoluments, and Self-Dealing Allegations
  9. 9. Eroding Norms: DOJ Independence, Pardons, and Executive Privilege
  10. 10. Comparative Lens: Norm Erosion in Democratic Backsliding Research
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January 6 and Democratic Backsliding
10 chapters • The Capitol attack and its aftermath
▾
  1. 1. Election Night 2020 and the Early 'Stop the Steal' Narrative
  2. 2. Sixty-Plus Lawsuits and the Failed Legal Strategy
  3. 3. State-Level Pressure: Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan
  4. 4. The Eastman Memos and the Plan to Block Certification
  5. 5. The 'Will Be Wild' Tweet and the Run-Up to January 6
  6. 6. The Attack on the Capitol: Timeline and Casualties
  7. 7. The January 6 Select Committee Investigation and Hearings
  8. 8. Criminal Prosecutions of Capitol Defendants and Organizers
  9. 9. Democratic Backsliding Indices and Comparative Analysis
  10. 10. How January 6 Reshaped Global Perceptions of US Democracy
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III

After 2020

MAGA After the 2020 Election
9 chapters • The Big Lie and party transformation
▾
  1. 1. Trump's Defeat and the 'Big Lie'
  2. 2. State-Level Election Laws and Power Struggles
  3. 3. Candidates Embracing or Rejecting MAGA
  4. 4. Shifts Inside the Republican Party
  5. 5. The Trump Indictments and the 2024 Campaign
  6. 6. The 2024 General Election and the Return to Power
  7. 7. Election Workers and Local Officials Under Pressure
  8. 8. The MAGA Coalition's Demographic Evolution
  9. 9. MAGA Beyond Trump: Heirs and Pretenders
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Media, Platforms, and Deplatforming
9 chapters • The right-wing media ecosystem
▾
  1. 1. January 8 Suspensions and the Deplatforming Moment
  2. 2. Alternative Platforms: Parler, Gab, Truth Social, Rumble
  3. 3. Elon Musk, X, and the Reset of Content Moderation
  4. 4. The Right-Wing Media Ecosystem in Full Bloom
  5. 5. Disinformation, Conspiracies, and QAnon's Mutations
  6. 6. How Platforms Struggle to Moderate Political Speech
  7. 7. Independent Media and the Podcast Economy
  8. 8. The Decline of Local News, Continued
  9. 9. AI, Deepfakes, and the New Information Environment
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Long-Term Impacts and Future Scenarios
9 chapters • Where does this go?
▾
  1. 1. Trust in Elections and Institutions
  2. 2. Political Violence, Threats, and Intimidation
  3. 3. Inequality, the Working Class, and the Politics of Resentment
  4. 4. Generational Shifts and the Future Electorate
  5. 5. Possible Paths: Reform, Realignment, or Escalation
  6. 6. International Implications of MAGA Foreign Policy
  7. 7. The Republic of Letters: Universities, Think Tanks, and Civil Society
  8. 8. Lessons for Democracy and Civic Resilience
  9. 9. How the MAGA Era Will Be Remembered
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IV

Project 2025

Project 2025: Overview
12 chapters • The blueprint for the second term
▾
  1. 1. Origins and Architecture
  2. 2. The Mandate for Leadership
  3. 3. Personnel Is Policy
  4. 4. Executive Power and the Administrative State
  5. 5. Social and Cultural Agenda
  6. 6. Economic and Regulatory Vision
  7. 7. Energy, Environment, and Climate
  8. 8. Immigration and Border Security
  9. 9. Defense, Intelligence, and Foreign Policy
  10. 10. Media, Information, and Free Speech
  11. 11. Implementation and Real-World Impact
  12. 12. Criticism, Defense, and Public Debate
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V

The Record

Trump's Lies: Then and Now
11 chapters • From business exaggerations to the Big Lie
▾
  1. 1. The Business Years: Building a Brand on Exaggeration
  2. 2. 2011-2016: Birtherism and the Rise of Political Lying
  3. 3. First Term 2017-2018: Establishing the Pattern
  4. 4. First Term 2019-2020: Pre-Pandemic Falsehoods
  5. 5. COVID-19: A Pandemic of Misinformation
  6. 6. The Big Lie: 2020 Election Denial
  7. 7. 2021-2024: Exile, Indictments, and Continued Falsehoods
  8. 8. Second Term 2025: The Lies Continue
  9. 9. The Repetition Strategy: Why the Same Lies Persist
  10. 10. Consequences: When Lies Cause Real Harm
  11. 11. Why Do People Believe? The Psychology of Political Lying
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Trump and Epstein: A History
17 chapters • Separating fact from fiction
▾
  1. 1. Why This Topic Attracts Misinformation
  2. 2. Jeffrey Epstein in Brief
  3. 3. Donald Trump in Brief
  4. 4. Primary Sources and Record Types
  5. 5. Early Social Connections (1980s-1990s)
  6. 6. Mar-a-Lago and Palm Beach
  7. 7. Public Statements and Quotes
  8. 8. The Falling Out
  9. 9. Legal Proceedings and Depositions
  10. 10. The Acosta Connection
  11. 11. 2019 Arrest and Aftermath
  12. 12. Document Releases and Revelations
  13. 13. Media Ecosystems: How Narratives Are Built
  14. 14. Conspiracy Theories and 'Epstein Files' Claims
  15. 15. Evidence Evaluation: A Practical Method
  16. 16. Separating Fact from Fiction
  17. 17. What Remains Unknown, and Why
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