• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
Commentary

What Trump and Warren’s Similarities Say About America’s Two-Party System

By
Donald Brand
Donald Brand
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Donald Brand
Donald Brand
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 30, 2016, 10:00 AM ET
Photos by Mark Wilson & Brendan Smialowski — Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Donald Brand is a professor of political science at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.

Am I the only one who thought there was a remarkable resemblance between the indignant, morally self-righteous tone of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) speech at the Democratic Convention and Donald Trump’s acceptance speech at the Republican Convention? Moral self-righteousness is a response to perceived injustice, and both of these politicians see a world filled with injustice that must be addressed. Both see a political system that has failed to protect the average citizen because the system is rigged. According to Trump, “I have seen firsthand how the system is rigged against our citizens,” and according to Warren, “People get it: The system is rigged.” Even more remarkably, both are critics of economic globalization and the trade deals that have made this globalization possible.

Trump narcissistically goes on to claim, “I alone can fix it,” but he has already secured the nomination of a major party. Warren is still concealing her own political ambitions behind her support for Hillary Clinton, but her description of the Clinton she was supporting sounded a lot more like a description of Warren.

According to Warren, “Hillary will fight to hold big banks accountable,” but this endorsement followed a policy prescription associated with Warren (“when big banks get too risky, break ‘em up”), not with Clinton. Similarly, her claim that “Hillary will fight for American workers” is preceded by a policy recommendation that “the United States should never, never sign trade deals that help giant corporations and leave workers in the dirt.” Given Warren’s criticisms of both the North American Free Trade Agreement and the still-to-be-ratified Trans-Pacific Partnership, both of which have been strongly supported by Clinton in the past, one has to wonder whether Warren is actually endorsing Clinton or trying to force Clinton to start acting more like Warren.

Trump and Warren both share a fundamental political characteristic: Their rhetoric divides us rather than unites us. Both of them identify as an “outsider” who bears fundamental responsibility for our dismal plight—a scapegoat—and both propose simplistic remedies to restore the American promise.

In Trump’s case, the outsiders are foreigners, particularly those who come here illegally: Mexican rapists and murderers who are undermining law and order and depriving us of our sense of security, and Muslims who want to come here but will not share our values and will be sympathetic to ISIS. In his eyes, undocumented immigrants have taken our jobs, driven up the costs of the welfare state, and destroyed the American dream. Once we have identified the group responsible for our problems, the solution is clear: Build a wall.

 

In Warren’s case, the demonized group is the wealthy. As is the case with Trump, Warren wastes no time drawing distinctions among those in the top 1%: hedge fund managers, corporate CEOs, and those who inherited their wealth vs. those who acquired it through entrepreneurial innovation. These distinctions don’t matter for Warren because she needs a group to scapegoat. The greed of the 1% was responsible for the financial collapse in 2008. She never mentions that the 1% lost wealth disproportionately during the Great Recession, nor does she consider factors like the imbalanced development of the Chinese economy that created huge dollar surpluses that could be used to fuel a real estate bubble in the United States. A more complicated explanation of the financial crisis wouldn’t lend itself to the politics of moral outrage that are her trademark. For Trump’s war against undocumented immigration, she would substitute class war here in the United States. For Trump’s simplistic build-a-wall remedy, she would substitute her simplistic plan to break up the big banks combined with punitive taxes on the wealthy.

If our major parties are increasingly susceptible to hostile takeovers of the disaffected who have been politicized and mobilized by demagogues of the left and the right, perhaps it is time to reconsider the functioning of our two-party system. Defenders of the two-party system have always argued that it produces moderate big-tent parties favoring centrist politics. If this can no longer be taken for granted, then the cause of political moderation might best be served by the creation of a third party to provide a new home for the increasingly marginalized moderates in both the Democratic and Republican parties.

About the Authors
By Donald Brand
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bethany Cianciolo
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Commentary

nido
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
As an immigrant turned entrepreneur and college president, here is why I celebrate our nation as it turns 250
By Nido R. QubeinJune 25, 2026
9 hours ago
Asia’s defense boom is rewiring the global arms supply chain
Commentaryarms, weapons, and defense
Asia’s defense boom is rewiring the global arms supply chain
By Chris OberoiJune 24, 2026
24 hours ago
steve
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
Steve Case: America was built by entrepreneurs. Here’s how we keep that edge for the next 250 years
By Steve CaseJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
t
CommentaryWhite House
Trump mistakes the bully pulpit for bullying leadership — history’s villains were never heroes
By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven TianJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
mg
CommentaryHealth
The ‘tech neck’ time bomb: why 43 million young Americans could cripple U.S. health care within a generation
By Michael GerlingJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
sb
Commentaryclimate change
The climate policy triangle: why leaders can no longer choose between growth, security and sustainability
By Sebastian BuckupJune 23, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
14 hours ago
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
2 days ago
Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
Retail
Amazon's record Prime Day masks a darker truth: Americans are spending more and getting less
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
Asia
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
1 day ago
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
2 days ago
Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
Success
Ikea’s billionaire founder was so frugal that he bought clothes from flea markets and took free salt and pepper from restaurants
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 25, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.