Back to selection
79361-01 - Seminar: Trump (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Philipp Schweighauser (ph.schweighauser@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This course explores the political and cultural significance of Donald J. Trump, his two administrations (2017-2021, 2025- ), and the movement he created. We will read fictions and essays that directly engage with the man and his politics. We will also watch a film and parts of a documentary TV series about Trump and the MAGA movement. To do this, we will engage with novels that range from satires to far-right celebrations, watch both bona fide documentaries and propaganda films, read essays that promote Trumpism, and other essays that critically assess the man and his politics. A key focus will on thinkers like Michael Anton, Patrick Deneen, and Yoram Hazony, who provide intellectual and political rationales for MAGA and Trumpism. A word of warning: Some of this, especially Mike Stone’s far-right novel, will be offensive to many. |
| Learning objectives | We will engage with a variety of literary, essayistic, filmic, and televisual engagements with the 45th and 47th President of the United States and the political movement he created: Make America Great Again. We will focus particularly on the intellectual and ideological underpinnings of that movement but also engage with a few critical assessments of Trump and Trumpism. The goal is that students reach an in-depth understanding of the figure of Trump and the political movement he created. |
| Bibliography | Please purchase and read the following two novels before the beginning of the semester: Mark Doten’s "Trump Sky Alpha" (2019) and Christopher Buckley’s "Make Russia Great Again" (2020). The Labyrinth bookstore has copies available. Additionally, please read Mike Stone’s "A New America: The First Novel of the Alt-Right!" (2017) by way of preparation for the seminar; it will be available on ADAM. Additional texts are also made available on ADAM. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | This seminar is open to BA students who have passed the introductory modules, MA students, and PhD candidates. |
| Course application | Please register on https://services.unibas.ch. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 16.09.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 23.09.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 30.09.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 07.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 14.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 21.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 28.10.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 04.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 11.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 18.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 25.11.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 02.12.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 09.12.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Wednesday 16.12.2026 | 14.15-16.00 | Nadelberg 6, Raum 11 |
| Modules |
Modul: Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) Module: Advanced Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | regular attendance, active participation |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |