Similarities and Differences between the French and the American Identity Construction in Populist Political Discourse

ABSTRACT: Taking into account the current political landscapes both at the national and international levels, one might be tempted to assert that Aristotle’s dictum “man is a political animal” is even more relevant today than perhaps at any other time in history. Indeed, even Aristotle realized that the gift of speech—inherent to all—could have a positive or negative impact upon the life of an individual and/or community. We intend to analyze the manner in which populist political discourse came to be constructed and used within two particular instances, namely in the United States of America and France. Focusing on the aspect of identity construction, we will set forth a comparative theoretical framework highlighting the commonalities and distinctions between the two approaches, while also illustrating how these had been carried out at a discursive level.

KEYWORDS: populism, discourse theory, identity construction, Donald Trump, Marine le Pen