by Bill O’Grady

(Due to the Labor Day holiday, the next report will be published on September 11.)

Last week, we began our series on nationalism.  In Part I of this report, we discussed social contract theory before and after the Enlightenment.  We examined three social contract theorists, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.  This week, in Part II, we will recount Western history from the American and French Revolutions into WWII.  From there, we will analyze America’s exercise of hegemony and the key lessons learned from the interwar period.

In two weeks, in Part III, we will begin with an historical analysis of the end of the Cold War and the difficulties that have developed in terms of the post-WWII consensus and current problems.  We will discuss the tensions between the U.S. superpower role and the domestic problems we face.  From there, an analysis of populism will follow, including its rise and the dangers inherent in it.  As always, we will conclude with market ramifications.

View the full report