“Anywheres” vs. “Somewheres” A framework for understanding populism

The Anywheres constitute about 25 percent of the British population, but they dominate the political class, and it is their concerns that are paramount in public policy. The Anywheres favor “progressive individualism.” They place a “high value on autonomy, mobility, and novelty” and a “much lower value” on “faith, flag, and family.” Anywheres are “comfortable with immigration, European integration, and . . . human-rights legislation,” which “dilute the claims of national citizenship.”

In contrast to the people who see the world from “anywhere” are the people who see the world from “somewhere.” The Somewheres are more rooted and socially conservative, older, with less formal education but a greater attachment to tradition, the Crown, and the nation. 

https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2017/07/31/david-goodhart-the-road-to-somewhere/

Book: The Tyranny of Merit by Michael Sandel

This book covers a lot of ground but Chapter 1, titled “Winners and Losers,” makes an interesting case that the use and abuse of the concept of “merit” is what led to populist backlashes of Donald Trump’s election and Brexit. 

You can actually read the whole introduction and first chapter on Amazon by clicking the “Look Inside” image of the book.

 

Below are a couple of links to reviews or interviews with Sandel in which he outlines his basic ideas.

Click to access tyranny-of-merit-transcript.pdf

 

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/sep/06/michael-sandel-the-populist-backlash-has-been-a-revolt-against-the-tyranny-of-merit

 

 

Anywheres vs. Somewheres help explain Brexit and Trump

A collection of articles, etc. on the issue.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/22/the-road-to-somewhere-david-goodhart-populist-revolt-future-politics

Relatedly: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/too-diverse-david-goodhart-multiculturalism-britain-immigration-globalisation

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-and-the-revolt-of-the-somewheres-11551483212

https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2017/07/31/david-goodhart-the-road-to-somewhere/