Cyclical Theory

Here is some lazy wikipedia scholarship
The cyclical theory refers to a model used by historian Arthur Schlesinger to attempt to explicate the fluctuations in politics throughout American History.

Liberalism and conservatism are rooted in the “national mood” that shows a continuing shift in national involvement between public purpose and private interest.

TWO POLES:
1. greater public interest (liberalism)
2. greater private interest (conservatism)
-we are in a transition phase, moving towards more public interest (liberalism)

NATIONAL MOOD + EMOTIONAL RESPONSES
-I think the 'national mood' is made up of tons of emotional responses to media, 'events,' etc.

EMOTIONAL RESPONSES
Resentment is an emotion of anger or bitterness felt repeatedly, as a result of a real, or imagined, wrong done....on the same line-continuum with contempt and anger. According to him, the differences between the three emotions are as follows: resentment is directed towards higher-status individuals, anger is directed towards equal-status individuals and contempt is directed towards lower-status individuals.

RESENTMENT > TRANSITION TO GREATER PUBLIC INTEREST
resentment is directed towards higher-status individuals
-resentment is what we feel when people with power are compromised or appear to be acting immoral, it is similar to envy spite, etc.
-Wall street, Madoff, Bush, whoever, we hate everyone except Obama ("transitional figure")

CONTEMPT > TRANSITION TO GREATER PRIVATE INTERESTS
contempt is directed towards lower-status individuals


RATIONALISATIONS
Tall Poppy Syndrome
Someone is said to be a target of tall poppy syndrome when his or her assumption of a higher economic, social, or political position is criticized as being presumptuous, attention seeking, or without merit. Alternatively, it is seen as a societal phenomenon in which people of genuine merit are criticized or resented because their talents or achievements elevate them above or distinguish them from their peers.

-this is what Ayn Rand is all about, 1000 page novels about tall poppy syndrome (TPS)
-"we are stifled by beauracracy and 'fairness'"
-"fairness limits our ability to achieve"
-"some of us are better than others and should be encouraged"
-"don't hold us back"

OPPOSITE

Jante Law
Don't think you're anyone special or that you're better than us.
1. Don't think that you are special.
2. Don't think that you are of the same standing as us.
3. Don't think that you are smarter than us.
4. Don't fancy yourself as being better than us.
5. Don't think that you know more than us.
6. Don't think that you are more important than us.
7. Don't think that you are good at anything.
8. Don't laugh at us.
9. Don't think that anyone cares about you.
10. Don't think that you can teach us anything.

America is okay? This is normal?

Conclusion:
American politics + culture oscillates between more and less egalitarianism based on the competition of contempt and resentment.