The Content of National Mythology: How Past Victory and Defeat Shape Preferences

• In Event: Nationalism, Origin Myths, and Violence

Abstract

National victimhood has been claimed to be a source of inciting strong nationalism. Indeed, it is not difficult to observe states employing nationalist narratives involving varying degrees of collective victimization. Yet, in the repertoire of nationalist rhetoric, states have not only past victimization and grievances but also past glory and accomplishments to emphasize. While previous studies on nationalism and foreign policy mostly pay attention to victimhood only, this paper examines the effects of invoking past victory along with past victimhood on the public's foreign policy attitudes, focusing on the emotional impact of these invocations on collective self-esteem. Survey experiments conducted in the U.S. and China shed new light on how states can overcome past victimhood and mitigate its harmful effect on foreign policy. The findings of this paper also contribute to the growing literature on rhetoric and international affairs.

Authors

• Joslyn N. Barnhart, University of California Santa Barbara

• Jiyoung Ko, Korea University