Center for Right-Wing Studies

Using a diachronic perspective, this paper explores American white nationalist political parties from the mid-twentieth century to present day and their attempts at securing national votes. The parties included are the National States Rights Party, The Populist Party, and the American Freedom Party. While maintaining the central focus on the contemporary American Freedom Party, the major differences in political strategy between the parties are analyzed. Through examination and comparison of the parties’ changes in self-presentation, the societal shift from old racism to new racism becomes evident. The analysis also uncovers a continual change in the understanding of race in American politics within the same time frame.