An Australian here... But my theory is a little harsh. Sorry in advance... But look at the culture that has been cultivated in USA in the last 40 odd years. In particular, look at how people vote with their dollars over the last 20 years. The most popular TV shows are ones where people with mental illnesses embarrass themselves in auditions while people point and laugh and judges make mean comments, or shows where multiple people compete to have sex with one beautiful yet damaged person. The best selling books are violent crime novels or hyper sexualised romances. The most watched movies even by adults are about super heroes. Big budget TV shows are dumbed down to appeal to the most people. Pop music is simplistic and catchy and always about the same thing. People dress up and take photos of themselves and put it on the Internet... What happened to smart films being blockbusters (see godfather)? What happened to literary fiction being best sellers? What happened to musicians like Bob Dylan and the beatles?... The market for intellectually stimulating material with depth has disappeared, because it can't compete with vapid trash so it doesn't get promoted or invested in... We expect people to vote with their dollars for trash, but then have them flick a switch and access their intellectual side when they vote for a politician. But that intellectual side has not been nurtured. So they end up voting the same way they vote for anything else... How can anyone really be surprised by the appeal of a rich, "successful", witty, troll, reality TV star who loves using social media? He's a perfect fit in popular culture... There will be more Trumps to come. In Australia and the rest of the world.