Christopher Sebastian Parker
Biographic Data
| ID | 3628621 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Christopher Sebastian Parker |
| GIVEN NAMES | Christopher Sebastian |
| FAMILY NAME | Parker |
| SIGNATURE | PARKER C S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Washington |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1879-0357 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 188 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 20 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1999 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
Status threat
In recent years, reactionary movements have overtaken the politics of western democracies and developing countries alike. Using the United States is a case in point, we offer a theory of what motivates reactionary movements. While controlling for conventional individual‐level accounts of reactionary psychological dispositions, we offer a fresh explanation: status threat. We argue that status threat, a reaction to rapid sociocultural change on the…
Separate but Unequal
Why are democratic publics reluctant to use force against fellow democracies? We hypothesize that the democratic peace in public opinion owes, in large part, to racialized assumptions about democracy. Rather than regime type per se doing the causal work, the term "democracy" inadvertently primes the presumption that target countries are predominantly white. This implicit racialization, in turn, explains the reluctance of the American public to su…
An American Paradox
An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button
The Great White Hope
Donald Trump has polarized the country more than any other time in the last 75 years. What are the forces that pushed him into the Oval Office? Further, what are the implications, if any, of his election? Drawing on prior work on the Tea Party movement, when we put Trump’s victory in historical context of reactionary movements of the past, his election is simply an extension of a process that began with the Know Nothing Party of the 19th Century.…
Status Threat
Over the last few years, right-wing movements have proliferated among Western democracies. Although much of the growth has taken place across the “pond” in Europe, this phenomenon is not confined to that continent. As recent events make clear, the United States is another major case. In this essay, I offer a theory of the emergence of reactionary movements, fueled by status threat, using the United States as a case. To demonstrate the explanatory…
Trump-ing Foreign Affairs
President Trump is often at odds with the conservative establishment over a range of issues, not least of which is foreign policy. Yet it remains unclear whether supporting “Trumpism” is commensurate with coherent foreign policy views that are distinct from conventionally conservative positions. We evaluate whether the foreign policy views of Trump’s supporters, both in the voting public and among activists, differ from those of other Republicans…
Race and Authoritarianism in American Politics
Authoritarianism, it seems, is alive and well these days. The Trump administration's blatant dismissal of democratic norms has many wondering whether it fits the authoritarian model. This review offers a framework for understanding authoritarianism in the American past, as well as the American present. Starting in the early twentieth century, this analysis seeks to provide a better understanding of how authoritarianism once existed in enclaves in…
Between Anger and Engagement
History suggests that social movements for change are often met with powerful counter-movements. Relying upon movement counter-movement dynamics, this paper examines whether or not contemporary reactionary conservatism—in this case Donald Trump's candidacy in 2016, offers an opportunity for African-American mobilization. Today, the reactionary right presents a threat to racial progress and the black community as it has grown from direct oppositio…
A Discussion of Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt’s How Democracies Die
Among the many scholarly attempts to reckon with the causes and consequences of Donald Trump’s rise, few have attracted popular attention on the scale of Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt’s How Democracies Die. Seldom do books by political scientists make it onto the New York Times best sellers list, but this one has, a testament to its broad influence. Levitsky and Ziblatt situate Trumpism within a broader comparative and historical context in …
Race and Politics in the Age of Obama
Race has rarely mattered more in US politics than it does now. The election of President Obama has laid bare the racial divisions that continue to fracture the United States. In this review, I explore the emerging scholarship that assesses Obama's impact on social and political life in the United States. I first examine the symbolic meaning of Obama's election to black and white citizens. Second, I analyze how racism has influenced whites' politi…
Change They Can't Believe In
Change They Can't Believe In
Are Tea Party supporters merely a group of conservative citizens concerned about government spending? Or are they racists who refuse to accept Barack Obama as their president because he's not white? This book offers an alternative argument—that the Tea Party is driven by the reemergence of a reactionary movement in American politics that is fueled by a fear that America has changed for the worse. Providing a range of original evidence and rich po…
War! What Is It Good For? Black Freedom Struggles and the U.S. Military from World War II to Iraq
Journal Article War! What Is It Good For? Black Freedom Struggles and the U.S. Military from World War II to Iraq War! What Is It Good For? Black Freedom Struggles and the U.S. Military from World War II to Iraq. By Kimberley L. Phillips. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2012. xvi, 343 pp. $34.95.) Christopher Parker Christopher Parker University of WashingtonSeattle, Washington [email protected] Search for other works by this auth…
War and African American Citizenship, 1865–1965
This article first examines the various ways in which scholars explain the relationship between war and racial reform. Upon identifying gaps in the literature on the subject, it then outlines a framework through which at least some of the gaps may be filled. It then examines the effect of the Civil War on African American citizenship in light of the proposed framework. This is followed by the examination of the Spanish-American war and World War …
Symbolic versus Blind Patriotism
Patriotism is an important predictor of political attitudes and preferences. Nevertheless, the complexity of patriotism remains unresolved, especially as it pertains to blind and symbolic patriotism. Symbolic patriotism represents a relatively abstract, affective attachment to the nation and its core values. Blind patriotism, in contrast, is more concrete, indexing uncritical support for national policies and practices. While the concepts appear …
Fighting for Democracy
Fighting for Democracy shows how the experiences of African American soldiers during World War II and the Korean War influenced many of them to challenge white supremacy in the South when they returned home. Focusing on the motivations of individual black veterans, this groundbreaking book explores the relationship between military service and political activism. Christopher Parker draws on unique sources of evidence, including interviews and sur…
A Black Man in the White House
An editorial error was made in the article, “A Black Man in the White House?: The Role of Racism and Patriotism in the 2008 Presidential Election” (Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 193–217
When Politics Becomes Protest
Recent narratives of the civil rights movement document black veterans' contributions to the movement's success, often attributing their efforts to their military experience. While this attribution makes sense intuitively, alternative explanations for black veterans' mobilization are not fully explored in existing work. For instance, black veterans were often among the most active members in many of the civil rights organizations from which insur…
Ablackman in Thewhitehouse
Race and patriotism were recurring themes during the 2008 presidential campaign that were used to highlight differences between Barack Obama and his opponents. Yet we know little about how racism and patriotism ultimately affected support for Obama among Whites. Appeals to working-class Whites, a lot of which were thinly veiled allusions to Obama's race and perceived lack of patriotism, also figured prominently in the campaign. Accordingly, this …
New Weapons for Old Problems
April 01 1999 New Weapons for Old Problems: Conventional Proliferation and Military Effectiveness in Developing States Christopher S. Parker Christopher S. Parker Christopher S. Parker is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Author and Article Information Christopher S. Parker Christopher S. Parker is a doctoral candidate in the…
Symbolic versus Blind Patriotism
Patriotism is an important predictor of political attitudes and preferences. Nevertheless, the complexity of patriotism remains unresolved, especially as it pertains to blind and symbolic patriotism. Symbolic patriotism represents a relatively abstract, affective attachment to the nation and its core values. Blind patriotism, in contrast, is more concrete, indexing uncritical support for national policies and practices. While the concepts appear …
Status Threat
Over the last few years, right-wing movements have proliferated among Western democracies. Although much of the growth has taken place across the “pond” in Europe, this phenomenon is not confined to that continent. As recent events make clear, the United States is another major case. In this essay, I offer a theory of the emergence of reactionary movements, fueled by status threat, using the United States as a case. To demonstrate the explanatory…
Race and Politics in the Age of Obama
Race has rarely mattered more in US politics than it does now. The election of President Obama has laid bare the racial divisions that continue to fracture the United States. In this review, I explore the emerging scholarship that assesses Obama's impact on social and political life in the United States. I first examine the symbolic meaning of Obama's election to black and white citizens. Second, I analyze how racism has influenced whites' politi…
When Politics Becomes Protest
Recent narratives of the civil rights movement document black veterans' contributions to the movement's success, often attributing their efforts to their military experience. While this attribution makes sense intuitively, alternative explanations for black veterans' mobilization are not fully explored in existing work. For instance, black veterans were often among the most active members in many of the civil rights organizations from which insur…
Race and Authoritarianism in American Politics
Authoritarianism, it seems, is alive and well these days. The Trump administration's blatant dismissal of democratic norms has many wondering whether it fits the authoritarian model. This review offers a framework for understanding authoritarianism in the American past, as well as the American present. Starting in the early twentieth century, this analysis seeks to provide a better understanding of how authoritarianism once existed in enclaves in…
Ablackman in Thewhitehouse
Race and patriotism were recurring themes during the 2008 presidential campaign that were used to highlight differences between Barack Obama and his opponents. Yet we know little about how racism and patriotism ultimately affected support for Obama among Whites. Appeals to working-class Whites, a lot of which were thinly veiled allusions to Obama's race and perceived lack of patriotism, also figured prominently in the campaign. Accordingly, this …
Trump-ing Foreign Affairs
President Trump is often at odds with the conservative establishment over a range of issues, not least of which is foreign policy. Yet it remains unclear whether supporting “Trumpism” is commensurate with coherent foreign policy views that are distinct from conventionally conservative positions. We evaluate whether the foreign policy views of Trump’s supporters, both in the voting public and among activists, differ from those of other Republicans…
Status threat
In recent years, reactionary movements have overtaken the politics of western democracies and developing countries alike. Using the United States is a case in point, we offer a theory of what motivates reactionary movements. While controlling for conventional individual‐level accounts of reactionary psychological dispositions, we offer a fresh explanation: status threat. We argue that status threat, a reaction to rapid sociocultural change on the…
Separate but Unequal
Why are democratic publics reluctant to use force against fellow democracies? We hypothesize that the democratic peace in public opinion owes, in large part, to racialized assumptions about democracy. Rather than regime type per se doing the causal work, the term "democracy" inadvertently primes the presumption that target countries are predominantly white. This implicit racialization, in turn, explains the reluctance of the American public to su…
War! What Is It Good For? Black Freedom Struggles and the U.S. Military from World War II to Iraq
Journal Article War! What Is It Good For? Black Freedom Struggles and the U.S. Military from World War II to Iraq War! What Is It Good For? Black Freedom Struggles and the U.S. Military from World War II to Iraq. By Kimberley L. Phillips. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2012. xvi, 343 pp. $34.95.) Christopher Parker Christopher Parker University of WashingtonSeattle, Washington [email protected] Search for other works by this auth…
An American Paradox
An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button
New Weapons for Old Problems
April 01 1999 New Weapons for Old Problems: Conventional Proliferation and Military Effectiveness in Developing States Christopher S. Parker Christopher S. Parker Christopher S. Parker is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Author and Article Information Christopher S. Parker Christopher S. Parker is a doctoral candidate in the…
New Weapons for Old Problems
April 01 1999 New Weapons for Old Problems: Conventional Proliferation and Military Effectiveness in Developing States Christopher S. Parker Christopher S. Parker Christopher S. Parker is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Author and Article Information Christopher S. Parker Christopher S. Parker is a doctoral candidate in the…
Fighting for Democracy
Fighting for Democracy shows how the experiences of African American soldiers during World War II and the Korean War influenced many of them to challenge white supremacy in the South when they returned home. Focusing on the motivations of individual black veterans, this groundbreaking book explores the relationship between military service and political activism. Christopher Parker draws on unique sources of evidence, including interviews and sur…
A Black Man in the White House
An editorial error was made in the article, “A Black Man in the White House?: The Role of Racism and Patriotism in the 2008 Presidential Election” (Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 193–217
When Politics Becomes Protest
Recent narratives of the civil rights movement document black veterans' contributions to the movement's success, often attributing their efforts to their military experience. While this attribution makes sense intuitively, alternative explanations for black veterans' mobilization are not fully explored in existing work. For instance, black veterans were often among the most active members in many of the civil rights organizations from which insur…
Ablackman in Thewhitehouse
Race and patriotism were recurring themes during the 2008 presidential campaign that were used to highlight differences between Barack Obama and his opponents. Yet we know little about how racism and patriotism ultimately affected support for Obama among Whites. Appeals to working-class Whites, a lot of which were thinly veiled allusions to Obama's race and perceived lack of patriotism, also figured prominently in the campaign. Accordingly, this …
Symbolic versus Blind Patriotism
Patriotism is an important predictor of political attitudes and preferences. Nevertheless, the complexity of patriotism remains unresolved, especially as it pertains to blind and symbolic patriotism. Symbolic patriotism represents a relatively abstract, affective attachment to the nation and its core values. Blind patriotism, in contrast, is more concrete, indexing uncritical support for national policies and practices. While the concepts appear …
War and African American Citizenship, 1865–1965
This article first examines the various ways in which scholars explain the relationship between war and racial reform. Upon identifying gaps in the literature on the subject, it then outlines a framework through which at least some of the gaps may be filled. It then examines the effect of the Civil War on African American citizenship in light of the proposed framework. This is followed by the examination of the Spanish-American war and World War …
War! What Is It Good For? Black Freedom Struggles and the U.S. Military from World War II to Iraq
Journal Article War! What Is It Good For? Black Freedom Struggles and the U.S. Military from World War II to Iraq War! What Is It Good For? Black Freedom Struggles and the U.S. Military from World War II to Iraq. By Kimberley L. Phillips. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2012. xvi, 343 pp. $34.95.) Christopher Parker Christopher Parker University of WashingtonSeattle, Washington [email protected] Search for other works by this auth…
Change They Can't Believe In
Are Tea Party supporters merely a group of conservative citizens concerned about government spending? Or are they racists who refuse to accept Barack Obama as their president because he's not white? This book offers an alternative argument—that the Tea Party is driven by the reemergence of a reactionary movement in American politics that is fueled by a fear that America has changed for the worse. Providing a range of original evidence and rich po…
Change They Can't Believe In
Race and Politics in the Age of Obama
Race has rarely mattered more in US politics than it does now. The election of President Obama has laid bare the racial divisions that continue to fracture the United States. In this review, I explore the emerging scholarship that assesses Obama's impact on social and political life in the United States. I first examine the symbolic meaning of Obama's election to black and white citizens. Second, I analyze how racism has influenced whites' politi…
Between Anger and Engagement
History suggests that social movements for change are often met with powerful counter-movements. Relying upon movement counter-movement dynamics, this paper examines whether or not contemporary reactionary conservatism—in this case Donald Trump's candidacy in 2016, offers an opportunity for African-American mobilization. Today, the reactionary right presents a threat to racial progress and the black community as it has grown from direct oppositio…
A Discussion of Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt’s How Democracies Die
Among the many scholarly attempts to reckon with the causes and consequences of Donald Trump’s rise, few have attracted popular attention on the scale of Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt’s How Democracies Die. Seldom do books by political scientists make it onto the New York Times best sellers list, but this one has, a testament to its broad influence. Levitsky and Ziblatt situate Trumpism within a broader comparative and historical context in …
Trump-ing Foreign Affairs
President Trump is often at odds with the conservative establishment over a range of issues, not least of which is foreign policy. Yet it remains unclear whether supporting “Trumpism” is commensurate with coherent foreign policy views that are distinct from conventionally conservative positions. We evaluate whether the foreign policy views of Trump’s supporters, both in the voting public and among activists, differ from those of other Republicans…
Race and Authoritarianism in American Politics
Authoritarianism, it seems, is alive and well these days. The Trump administration's blatant dismissal of democratic norms has many wondering whether it fits the authoritarian model. This review offers a framework for understanding authoritarianism in the American past, as well as the American present. Starting in the early twentieth century, this analysis seeks to provide a better understanding of how authoritarianism once existed in enclaves in…
The Great White Hope
Donald Trump has polarized the country more than any other time in the last 75 years. What are the forces that pushed him into the Oval Office? Further, what are the implications, if any, of his election? Drawing on prior work on the Tea Party movement, when we put Trump’s victory in historical context of reactionary movements of the past, his election is simply an extension of a process that began with the Know Nothing Party of the 19th Century.…
Status Threat
Over the last few years, right-wing movements have proliferated among Western democracies. Although much of the growth has taken place across the “pond” in Europe, this phenomenon is not confined to that continent. As recent events make clear, the United States is another major case. In this essay, I offer a theory of the emergence of reactionary movements, fueled by status threat, using the United States as a case. To demonstrate the explanatory…
An American Paradox
An abstract is not available for this content. As you have access to this content, full HTML content is provided on this page. A PDF of this content is also available in through the ‘Save PDF’ action button
Status threat
In recent years, reactionary movements have overtaken the politics of western democracies and developing countries alike. Using the United States is a case in point, we offer a theory of what motivates reactionary movements. While controlling for conventional individual‐level accounts of reactionary psychological dispositions, we offer a fresh explanation: status threat. We argue that status threat, a reaction to rapid sociocultural change on the…
Separate but Unequal
Why are democratic publics reluctant to use force against fellow democracies? We hypothesize that the democratic peace in public opinion owes, in large part, to racialized assumptions about democracy. Rather than regime type per se doing the causal work, the term "democracy" inadvertently primes the presumption that target countries are predominantly white. This implicit racialization, in turn, explains the reluctance of the American public to su…
Political science (19 works) · Law (18 works) · Politics (18 works) · Sociology (16 works) · Law (14 works) · Political economy (13 works) · Race, History, and American Society (8 works) · Democracy (6 works) · Electoral Systems and Political Participation (6 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (6 works)