Populism

Extracted Attributes

• Core Idea

  Opposition between 'the people' and 'the elite'

• Variations

  Left-wing populism, Right-wing populism, Economic populism

• Common Usage

  Often used pejoratively, synonymous with demagoguery or opportunism

• Origin Period

  Late 19th century

• Associated Sentiments

  Anti-establishment, Anti-political

• Definition (Economic)

  Irresponsible economic policymaking involving expansive public spending, often financed by foreign loans, leading to inflationary crises

• Common Leadership Style

  Charismatic figures claiming to represent the populace

• Definition (Popular Agency)

  Popular engagement of the population in political decision-making

• Definition (Emancipatory Force)

  A social force for marginalized groups challenging dominant power structures

• Definition (Ideational Approach)

  An ideology presenting 'the people' as morally good and 'the elite' as corrupt and self-serving

Timeline

• The term 'populism' developed and began to be applied to various politicians, parties, and movements. (Source: DBPedia)

  1800s-late

• The term 'populism' became increasingly popular among social scientists in Western countries. (Source: DBPedia)

  1960s

• The socioeconomic definition of populism, referring to irresponsible economic policymaking, gained prominence, particularly in studies of Latin America. (Source: Web Search)

  1980s

• The socioeconomic definition of populism continued to gain prominence. (Source: Web Search)

  1990s

• The struggle over the term 'populism' intensified in political discourse, especially in the Americas and Europe, describing diverse groups challenging established parties. (Source: DBPedia)

  2000s-early

• With half of the world population voting, a rise in populist leaders is anticipated, particularly in the West, fueled by geopolitical instability and socio-economic shifts. (Source: Web Search)

  2024

• At the All-In Summit, Tucker Carlson identified economic populism as the dominant force in politics, attributing it to figures like Donald Trump and Zoran Mamdani. (Source: dbcdfffd-2461-485f-bf9d-83b9ac7ab974)

  2025-XX-XX

Web Search Results

• Populism - Wikipedia

  Populism is a contested concept for a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the "common people", often in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed in the late 19th century and has been applied to various politicians, parties, and movements since that time, often assuming a pejorative tone. Within political science and other social sciences, different definitions of populism have been [...] Closely related to the ideas of demagogy and opportunism, the socioeconomic definition of populism refers to a pattern of irresponsible economic policymaking, in which governments implement expansive public spending—typically financed by foreign loans—followed by inflationary crises and subsequent austerity measures. This understanding gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s through economists such as Rudiger Dornbusch, Jeffrey Sachs, and Sebastián Edwards, particularly in studies of Latin [...] Several authors have examined populism as a form of political mobilization that incorporates previously invisible or marginalized sectors into the political arena. However, the specific forms that this mobilization takes remain a subject of debate in the literature. While some scholars argue that populism is inherently tied to the figure of a charismatic leader, others contend that it can manifest in three distinct but sometimes coexisting forms: the populist leader, the populist political

• What is populism, and what does the term actually mean? - BBC

  In political science, populism is the idea that society is separated into two groups at odds with one another - "the pure people" and "the corrupt elite", according to Cas Mudde, author of Populism: A Very Short Introduction. The term is often used as a kind of shorthand political insult. Britain's Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has been accused of populism over his party's slogan "for the many, not the few" - but that's not quite the same thing.

• What is populism: definition, characteristics, examples | liberties.eu

  The term populism goes back to the Latin word "populus", which means "the people". Today, populism is understood to mean a certain style of politics. However, there is no precise or uniform definition. On the contrary, the term is considered imprecise and value-laden, as it is often used in public debates as a kind of "killer argument" to undermine opposing opinions. [...] With half of the world population voting in 2024 we are likely to see a rise in populist leaders especially, in the West. As indicated by both the Coface social and political risk indicator and a study byIpsos on the current dynamics of populism, geopolitical instability and sudden socio-economic shifts creates a fruitful environment for the success of such charismatic populist leaders. As a result, populism is a serious threat to the global state of democracy that should be taken seriously in

• Populism and American democracy | Miller Center

  tearing down the institutional constraints that stifle the will of the “People," it aids their own selfish aspirations. Populism is an ancient threat to democratic politics and an obstinate problem in the practice of representative government in the United States. [...] While populism cuts a deep current through American political history, so too does its antithesis. Standing in its path is a form of constitutional politics—the practice of persuasion, negotiation, and compromise, the art of acknowledging irreconcilable differences, of appreciating diversity in how people want to live their own lives, and of recognizing the limits to collective action. Populism is vindictive, spurred by the desire to seek revenge on those in power because of a sense of

• [PDF] UNDERSTANDING THE GLOBAL RISE OF POPULISM - LSE

  But what then is populism? The answer to this simple question is by no means clear. Populism reflects a deep suspicion of the prevailing establishment; that this establishment in the view of most populists does not just rule in the common good but conspires against the people; and that the people, however defined, are the true repositories of the soul of the nation. Populists also tend in the main to be nativist and suspicious of foreigners (though this is more likely to be found on the right [...] 1. One was not so long ago provided by Moises Naim, editor of the magazine Foreign Policy. Populism has to be taken seriously he agrees. But it has no intellectual coherence. It is merely a rhetorical ‘tactic’ that demagogues around the world have always used, and will continue to use, to gain power and then hold on to it. As Naim puts it: “The fact is that populism is not an ideology. Instead, it’s a strategy to obtain and retain power. It has been around for centuries, recently appearing to

• Instance Of

  Q5633421

Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against "the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed in the late 19th century and has been applied to various politicians, parties and movements since that time, often as a pejorative. Within political science and other social sciences, several different definitions of populism have been employed, with some scholars proposing that the term be rejected altogether. A common framework for interpreting populism is known as the ideational approach: this defines populism as an ideology which presents "the people" as a morally good force and contrasts them against "the elite", who are portrayed as corrupt and self-serving. Populists differ in how "the people" are defined, but it can be based along class, ethnic, or national lines. Populists typically present "the elite" as comprising the political, economic, cultural, and media establishment, depicted as a homogeneous entity and accused of placing their own interests, and often the interests of other groups—such as large corporations, foreign countries, or immigrants—above the interests of "the people". Populist parties and social movements are often led by charismatic or dominant figures who present themselves as "the voice of the people". According to the ideational approach, populism is often combined with other ideologies, such as nationalism, liberalism, or socialism. Thus, populists can be found at different locations along the left–right political spectrum, and there exist both left-wing populism and right-wing populism. Other scholars of the social sciences have defined the term populism differently. According to the popular agency definition used by some historians of United States history, populism refers to popular engagement of the population in political decision making. An approach associated with the political scientist Ernesto Laclau presents populism as an emancipatory social force through which marginalised groups challenge dominant power structures. Some economists have used the term in reference to governments which engage in substantial public spending financed by foreign loans, resulting in hyperinflation and emergency measures. In popular discourse—where the term has often been used pejoratively—it has sometimes been used synonymously with demagogy, to describe politicians who present overly simplistic answers to complex questions in a highly emotional manner, or with opportunism, to characterise politicians who seek to please voters without rational consideration as to the best course of action. In the 1960s the term became increasingly popular among social scientists in Western countries, and later in the 20th century it was applied to various political parties active in liberal democracies. In the 21st century, the struggle over the term intensified in political discourse, particularly in the Americas and Europe, as it has been used to describe a range of left-wing, right-wing, and centrist groups that challenged the established parties.