THE ELECTION OF 2016 IN THE UNITED STATES: DONALD TRUMP AND THE DECADENCE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

ABSTRACT The election of U.S. President Donald J. Trump has taken everyone by surprise, including Trump himself. Commentators initially expected him to be merely a flash in the pan, attracting attention but not a sustainable, serious contender. When he became the forerunner in the Republican primaries, the conventional wisdom was that he would be handily defeated when the field narrowed to a manageable number, certainly when he faced a “regular” Republican. KEYWORDS: Election of U.S.; Republican; Democratic. RESUMO A eleição do presidente dos Estados Unidos Donald J. Trump tomou a todos de surpresa, incluindo o próprio Trump. Os comentaristas inicialmente esperavam que ele fosse apenas um flash na panela, atraindo atenção, mas não um competidor sustentável e sério. Quando se tornou o precursor nas primárias republicanas, a sabedoria convencional era que ele seria derrotado quando o campo se reduzisse a um número manejável, certamente quando enfrentava um republicano "regular". PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Eleição dos EUA; Republicano; Democrático