Nativism and jingoism are substitutable confidence-restoring strategies that competed for support

Evidence

To put the matter another way, when the troubles of the late nineteenth century raised doubts of the nation’s stamina, two short cuts for restoring confidence presented themselves: disunity might be rationalized as a product of foreign influence, or denied by a compensatory demonstration of national virility. One response led toward protective measures at home, such as immigration restriction; the other encouraged an offensive posture abroad. Of the two, the jingoist tactic was more exhilarating than the nativist and closer to the habitual strut and swagger of the American spirit. It had, therefore, a greater immediate impact. Nativism fell short of its major objectives in the nineties, while jingoism carried the day. — John Higham, Strangers in the Land, 444

Categorization

• XREF: Directly serves reader’s core question: manufactured external enemy (jingoism vs. internal immigrant enemy) as functional substitutes — connects to solidarity-via-constructed-enemy theories. — connects to: Institutional confidence loss, not ethnic competition, drives nativism to the national agenda; Nativism is a distinct phenomenon, a defensive nationalism of perceived national crisis — John Higham, Strangers in the Land: Patterns of…, 971
• SEED: Possible essay framing: when do groups pick internal scapegoats over external threats, and how substitutable are the two — the competition between deflection outward and policing inward.

Broader Connections

• Institutional confidence loss, not ethnic competition, drives nativism to the national agenda #qualifies (0.75)
• Nativism is a distinct phenomenon, a defensive nationalism of perceived national crisis #expands (0.75) — John Higham, Strangers in the Land, 971