Abstract
America has served not only as a source of inspiration for French politics and politicians but also as a form of deterrent especially for the French farright currently on the rise. The decline of ideological debates in French politics, together with the growing importance of politicians’ image to the detriment of substance, is generally associated with American-style politics. The evolution of the French Republic, though still formally a parliamentary one, towards a more presidential regime is also perceived as directly inspired by the United States. The author wonders whether the shift to the right of French politics and its radicalisation are not the sign of the emergence of an American-style social and religious conservatism generally associated with the American right and/or the Tea Party. Finally, if France has adopted some significant features of America’s politics, it has regrettably been less influenced by the exceptional vitality of its local democracy.
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Chommeloux, A. (2017). Exploring the “Americanisation” of French Politics. In: Chommeloux, A., Gibson-Morgan, E. (eds) Contemporary Voting in Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-50964-2_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-50964-2_3
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