Anti-Americanism and Political Ideologies. A Comparative Analysis of Left- and Right-Wing Anti-Americanism in Western Europe

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2015 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1.0, University of Zurich (Political Science), course: International Relations, language: English, abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the ideological aspects of anti-Americanism by comparing left- and right-wing anti-Americanism in Western Europe. Based on theoretical analysis and previous research, a framework is established from which an analysis is carried out, with a distinction being made between American values and American actions. The tested hypotheses state that left-wing anti-Americanism is primarily opposed to American values, while right-wing anti-Americanism is more hostile towards American actions. The study finds that left-wing anti-Americanism comes predominantly from the authoritarian Left representing a fundamental difference in values, while right-wing anti-Americanism comes largely in a nationalist form and represents a more situational opposition. This supports the established hypotheses.