The 2016 Presidential Election and Donald Trump's Effect on American Politics

Dr. Todd Donovan, Professor, Department of Political Science

Fall 2017

Donald Trump has been cast as an 'outsider,' populist, anti-establishment figure. His victory in the 2016 Republican primaries, his campaign style, and his rhetoric surprised many political observers. This discussion considers how, or if, Trump's campaigns and the 2016 elections represent a fundamental change in the Republican Party, the American electorate, and American politics.

Todd Donovan is a professor in the Department of Political Science at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. He is co-author or co-editor of several books on elections and representation, and is past president of the Pacific Northwest Political Science Association. His research areas include public opinion, elections, electoral rules, representation, and direct democracy. He studies elections in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, and has worked as an expert witness on election matters in state and federal courts in Alaska, California, Montana, Tennessee, and Washington.