Performance, Theatricality and the US Presidency: The Currency of Distrust

The erosion of trust in politicians and political institutions is a major challenge in early twenty—first—century democratic politics, not least in the United States. This book argues that, rather than being a flaw or corruption, the potential for political distrust must be understood as an essential feature of representative democracy because representation works through performance. The book explores performance as a constellation of factors: scripts, embodiment, ideas of selfhood, and hi...