Examining the Great Man Theory in American Politics

Patrick Deneen, a political philosopher at Notre Dame, says yes. He was a Democrat for years, and has now come to be seen as an “ideological guru” of the Trump administration. But that only tells half the story ...

• SOURCES:
  • Patrick Deneen, professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame.

• RESOURCES:
  • "The Ideological Gurus Battling for the Soul of Trump World," by Joshua Chaffin and Zusha Elinson (Wall Street Journal, 2025).
  • "Why the MAGA-DOGE coalition will hold," by Patrick Deneen (UnHerd, 2025).
  • "‘I Don’t Want to Violently Overthrow the Government. I Want Something Far More Revolutionary,’" by Ian Ward (POLITICO, 2023).
  • Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future, by Patrick Deneen (2023).
  • Why Liberalism Failed, by Patrick Deneen (2018).

• EXTRAS:
  • "In Search of the Real Adam Smith," series by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.