The decline motif has been a powerful tool in the rise of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. We observe bo...

The decline motif has been a powerful tool in the rise of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. We observe both the insular, tribal response to globalization in the rhetoric of its leaders and the appeal to a semi-ancient state of perfection to which we must return. Fear of decline and zeal for renewal have such a grip on the imagination of Americans that most overlook the discrepancies between the movement’s rhetoric and behavior.