Triviality Policing Enables Populist Backlash

When progressive institutions repeatedly punish minor social infractions as moral crimes, they shift public attention from structural problems to symbolic purity, which erodes institutional legitimacy and creates fertile ground for populist figures who weaponize 'triviality' culture as proof elites are out of touch. The article uses Annie Dillard’s phrase 'vigilantes of the trivial' and examples from campuses and media to argue this cultural dynamic materially helped Trump's political victories. — If true, this reframes part of how cultural norms translate into electoral realignment and suggests different remedies (institutional modesty, focus on material policy) than conventional partisan responses.