“Dr. Paul cured my apathy”: Ron Paul’s libertarian discourse

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dc.contributor.advisorHeinzelman, Susan Sage
dc.contributor.committeeMemberKing, Christopher
dc.creatorGoad, Rhiannon Jade
dc.date.accessioned2016-09-27T18:36:20Z
dc.date.accessioned2018-01-22T22:30:39Z
dc.date.available2016-09-27T18:36:20Z
dc.date.available2018-01-22T22:30:39Z
dc.date.issued2013-08
dc.date.submittedAugust 2013
dc.date.updated2016-09-27T18:36:20Z
dc.description.abstractDuring the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, many young white men found a political hero in the 77-year-old Republican Congressman from Texas, whose rallies often center on obscure, technical arguments concerning the Federal Reserve. It is because of the grassroots support of the young white men who adore him that Ron Paul has become a major figure in today’s political scene. What attracts young white men to Ron Paul? This paper explores the history and discourse of Libertarianism to better understand the political subjectivity and identity of Ron Paul supporters. In Chapter 2, I historically contextualize Paul’s libertarian discourse. I argue that the discourse of libertarianism is characterized by claims to an apolitical, ahistorical past in which Libertarian rhetoric naturalizes discourses of free market capitalism, “classical” liberalism, and “authentic” Americanism. In Chapter 3, I shift focus to Ron Paul’s career and policy positions and argue that Paul’s Libertarian discourse naturalizes existing hierarchies of race, class, and gender. In Chapter 4, I explain the interview methodology used for this project. Finally, in Chapters 5 and 6, I explore how libertarian discourse is (re)produced or disrupted through the personal political discourse of Ron Paul supporters.
dc.description.departmentWomen's and Gender Studies
dc.description.departmentPublic Affairs
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifierdoi:10.15781/T2GQ6R368
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2152/41230
dc.subjectLibertarianism
dc.subjectWomen's and gender studies
dc.subjectPublic affairs
dc.subjectPolitics
dc.subjectDiscourse analysis
dc.subjectAmerican politics
dc.title“Dr. Paul cured my apathy”: Ron Paul’s libertarian discourse
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialtext

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