Fear as a Political Tool: A Critical Analysis of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Fearmongering Narratives

Gabriela Kwiatek

doi:10.18778/1641-4233.30.04

Authors

Gabriela Kwiatek Jagiellonian University, Faculty of International and Political Studies https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7530-1789

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1641-4233.30.04

Keywords:

Marjorie Taylor Greene, fearmongering, electoral strategies, fear, right-wing populism, campaign, USA, politics

Abstract

This paper examines the fearmongering narratives employed by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia in her political strategy. By analyzing sources, such as campaign materials, legislative proposals, and press releases through a content analysis method, the paper identifies three primary fear-based narratives this politician uses: threats to the country, threats to freedom, and threats to children. Moreover, the impact of fearmongering in Rep. Greene’s electoral strategy and its success in Georgia’s 14th congressional district, known for its conservative leanings, are also explored. By understanding the effectiveness of fearmongering, this research sheds light on the dynamics of contemporary political discourse in the United States and its potential consequences.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Gabriela Kwiatek, Jagiellonian University, Faculty of International and Political Studies

Gabriela Kwiatek is a North American Studies Master’s student at Jagiellonian University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree after defending a thesis on the topic of “The Forced Sterilization of Indigenous Women in 21st Century Canada in the Context of Eugenics”. She is a member of the Polish Association of Canadian Studies and the North American Studies Academic Society at Jagiellonian University. She recently completed an internship at the Canadian Embassy in Warsaw. She spoke at several national and international conferences, discussing topics related to Canadian foreign policy, diplomacy, and internal Indigenous affairs. She is currently working on her research project on “Turtle Island’s First Nations and Aotearoa’s Māori – collaboration in the field of decolonization of birthing practices”, partially funded by Inicjatywa Doskonałości UJ.

References

“2023 Cook PVISM: District Map and List (118th Congress).” Cook Political Report, http://www.cookpolitical.com/cook-pvi/2023-partisan-voting-index/118-districtmap-and-list (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“About.” Republican Accountability, https://accountability.gop/about/ (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“About Us.” Defending Democracy Together, http://www.defendingdemocracytogether.org/about-us/ (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Beavers, Olivia & Melanie, Zanona. “MTG’s Eye-Popping Fundraising Haul.” POLITICO, 7th April 2021, http://www.politico.com/newsletters/huddle/2021/04/07/mtgs-eye-popping-fundraising-haul-492390?cid=su_ig_hu (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Best, Samuel J. & Brian S. Krueger. “Government Monitoring and Political Participation in the United States: The Distinct Roles of Anger and Anxiety.” American Politics Research, 39 (1) (2010): 85–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673x10380848

Biden, Joe (@JoeBiden). “I approve this message.” Twitter, 19th July 2023. https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1681424737384435713.

Brader, Ted. “Striking a Responsive Chord: How Political Ads Motivate and Persuade Voters by Appealing to Emotions.” American Journal of Political Science, 49 (2) (2005): 388–405. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0092-5853.2005.00130.x

Byler, David. “Opinion | How Marjorie Taylor Greene Became the Queen of the GOP Fringe.” Washington Post, 29th March 2023, http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/29/marjorie-taylor-greene-gop-fringe-queen/(accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Congresswoman MTG Reintroduces Resolution to Declare Antifa a Domestic Terrorist Organization.” U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, 7th March 2023, https://greene.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=368 (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Courage.” Republican Accountability, https://accountability.gop/courage/ (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Cowardice.” Republican Accountability, https://accountability.gop/cowardice/ (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Dodds, Io. “Marjorie Taylor Greene Launches Islamophobic Attack on Ilhan Omar Calling Her a ‘Bloodthirsty’ Al Qaeda Supporter.” Independent, 30th November 2021. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-ilhan-omar-b1967233.html (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Duckitt, John & Chris G. Sibley. “Personality, Ideology, Prejudice, and Politics: A Dual-Process Motivational Model.” Journal of Personality, 78 (6) (2010): 1861–1894, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2010.00672.x.

“Election Data Hub | Georgia Secretary of State.” Www.sos.ga.gov, http://www.sos.ga.gov/election-data-hub (accessed: 31.05.2023).

FBI Crime Data Explorer. 2021. “Hate Crime in the United States Incident Analysis.” https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/hate-crime (accessed: 18.07.2023).

FBI & DHS. 2022. “Strategic Intelligence Assessment and Data on Domestic Terrorism.” https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/22_1025_strategicintelligence-assessment-data-domestic-terrorism.pdf (accessed: 18.07.2023).

“Fearmongering.” Dictionary.cambridge.org, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/fearmongering (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Foran, Clare, Grayer Annie, & Diaz Daniella. “Marjorie Taylor Greene Has Been Stripped of Her Committee Assignments. What’s Next? | CNN Politics.” CNN, 5th February 2021, https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/04/politics/whats-nextmarjorie-taylor-greene/index.html (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Gabbatt, Adam. “Anti-LGBTQ+ Attacks by U.S. Extremist Groups Surge as Right Spews Vitriol.” The Guardian, 18th June 2022. http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/18/increase-anti-lgbtq-attacks-rightwing-extremist-groups (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Georgia Presidential Election Voting History.” 270toWin.com, http://www.270towin.com/states/Georgia (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Glassner, Barry. “Narrative Techniques of Fear Mongering.” Social Research, 71 (4) (2004): 819–826. https://doi.org/10.1353/sor.2004.0001

Graham, David A. “Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Just a Symptom of What Ails the GOP.” The Atlantic, 4th February 2021, http://www.theatlan tic.com/ideas/archive/2021/02/mtg-crystallizes-bind-republicans-have-placedthemselves/617917/ (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Hall, Madison. “The Democrats’ Latest Strategy Is Making Marjorie Taylor Greene the Face of the GOP.” Business Insider, http://www.businessinsider.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-face-of-the-gop-democrat-strategy-2023-2?IR=T (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Home – Marjorie Greene for Congress.” Web.archive.org, 11th March 2021, https://web.archive.org/web/20210311160519/www.marjorietaylorgreene.com/ (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“House Sponsor: Greene, Marjorie Taylor [R-GA].” Congress, https://www.congress.gov/search?q=%7B%22source%22%3A%22legislation%22%2C%22congress%22%3A%22all%22%2C%22house-sponsor%22%3A%22Greene%2C+Marjorie+Taylor +%5 BR-GA%5D%22%7D (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Impeachment of President Joe Biden.” U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, 23rd August 2021, https://greene.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?Document ID=21 (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Issues.” Home, http://www.mtgforamerica.com/issues/ (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Jost, John T., et al. “Political Conservatism as Motivated Social Cognition.” Psychological Bulletin, 129, no. (3) (2003): 339–375, https://faculty.virginia.edu/haidtlab/jost.glaser.political-conservatism-as-motivated-social-cog.pdf, https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.3.339

Kessler, Glenn, Rizzo Salvador, & Kelly Meg. Trump’s False or Misleading Claims Total 30,573 over 4 Years. The Washington Post, 24th January 2021 (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Marjorie Taylor Greene.” Ballotpedia, https://ballotpedia.org/Marjorie_Taylor_Greene (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Marjorie Taylor Greene – Biography”, Politician, Controversy, & Facts |Britannica.” Www.britannica.com, http://www.britannica.com/biography/ Marjorie-Taylor-Greene (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Marjorie Taylor Greene for America.” Www.mtgforamerica.com, http://www.mtgforamerica.com (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Marko, Davor. “Fear Control in Media Discourse.” Southeastern Europe, 37 (2013): 200–219. https://doi.org/10.1163/18763332-03702005

Metzger, Bryan. “Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Officially Divorced from Her Husband.” Business Insider, http://www.businessinsider.com/republican-marjorie-taylor-greene-officially-divorces-husband-perry-2022-12?IR=T (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Müller, Jan-Werner. What is populism? University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016. https://doi.org/10.9783/9780812293784

“Partisan Voting Index Districts of the 115th Congress.” The Cook Political Report, 2017, p. 2A.3 (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Protect America First Act.” U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, 22nd June 2021, https://greene.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=156 (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Protect Children’s Innocence Act.” U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, 20th September 2022, https://greene.house.gov/news/docume ntsingle.aspx?DocumentID=172 (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Rakich, Nathaniel. “What Do Americans Think of Marjorie Taylor Greene? Liz Cheney? Josh Hawley?” FiveThirtyEight, 5th February 2021, https://www.fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-do-americans-think-of-marjorie-taylor-greeneliz-cheney-josh-hawley/ (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.” Republican Accountability, https://accountability.gop/profile/rep-marjorie-taylor-greene/ (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Representative Marjorie Greene.” Representative Marjorie Greene, https://greene.house.gov (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Republican Support for Marjorie Taylor Greene Rose after House Removed Committee Assignments | YouGov.” Today.yougov.com, https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/articles-reports/2021/02/12/republican-support-marjorie-taylor-greene (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Republican Voters against Trump.” Republican Voters against Trump, https://rvat.org (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Sullivan, Becky. “Kyle Rittenhouse Is Acquitted of All Charges in the Trial over Killing 2 in Kenosha.” NPR, 19th November 2021, http://www.npr.org/2021/11/19/1057288807/kyle-rittenhouse-acquitted-all-charges-verdict (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Swan, Jonathan & Catie Edmondson. “How Kevin McCarthy Forged an Ironclad Bond with Marjorie Taylor Greene.” The New York Times, 23rd January 2023, http://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/23/us/politics/kevin-mccarthy-marjorie-taylor-greene.html?searchResultPosition=10 (accessed: 31.05.2023).

“Text of H.R. 7613 (117th): 21st Century FREE Speech Act (Introduced Version).” GovTrack.us, http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/117/hr7613/text (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Tlaib, Rashida (@RashidaTlaib). “These pathetic lies…” Twitter, 26th November 2021, https://twitter.com/RashidaTlaib/status/1464090164515549186?s=20 (accessed: 31.05.2023).

U.S. Department of Justice. 2021. “Georgia Hate Crimes Incidents in 2021.”

http://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/page/file/1576341/download (accessed: 17.07.2023).

U.S. Government Accountability Office. “The Rising Threat of Domestic Terrorism in the U.S. And Federal Efforts to Combat It | U.S. GAO.” Www.gao.gov, 2nd March 2023, http://www.gao.gov/blog/rising-threat-domestic-terrorismu.s.-and-federal-efforts-combat-it (accessed: 31.05.2023).

Valentino, Nicholas A., et al. “Election Night’s Alright for Fighting: The Role of Emotions in Political Participation.” The Journal of Politics, vol. 3 (1) (2011): 156–170, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022381610000939

Warner, Tara D. & Courtney R. Thrash. “A Matter of Degree? Fear, Anxiety, and Protective Gun Ownership in the United States.” Social Science Quarterly, 101 (1) (2019): 285–308. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12735