Populism Flashcards
What is populism?
“political doctrines or principles of the Populist Party,” a left-wing agrarian faction in U.S. politics; After the movement faded the word was applied in other contexts (for example a French literary trend of the 1930s), and from the 1960s it was used for political movements that sought to rally ordinary people who see their concerns as being disregarded by established parties and elites, but it also is used pejoratively for irrational or simplistic demagoguery.
Who is a populist?
“an adherent of populism,” also (with capital P-), “a member of the Populist Party;” 1893 (adj.).
The term outlasted the party, and by 1920s came to mean “representing the views of the masses” in a general way, and from the 1950s as “anti establishment” on either the left or the right.
How do populists see themselves?
They see themselves as “true” democrats, voicing genuine grievances and excluded opinions
Do they have a specific ideology?
No ideology: policy values (left/right) depend upon context
What does it mean that populists are anti-system?
They reject both established authorities AND elite values
What ideas does populism bring? (4)
- Appeals to democratic legitimacy arising from “the people”
- Majoritarian popular dovereignty (Brexit means Brexit)
- THE people= a united people, natiolatity vs. factions
- “Our” people = ordinary people
What kind of style can we find in populists?
They use a direct language to express simple solutions
What kind of mood does populism bring?
It heightens emotions, it is tied to a charismatic leader and it uses direct democracy
What does populism desire?
It desires to abolish institurions which mediate the people’s will and actions
How do Norris and Inglehart describe populism?
“Populism should be understood as a style of discourse reflecting first order
principles about who should rule, claiming that legitimate power rests with ‘the people’ not the elites. It remains silent about second order principles, concerning what should be done, what policies should be followed, what decisions should be made.”
How do Mudde and Kaltwasser describe populism?
Populism is a thin-centred ideology that considers society to be ultimately separated into two homogeneous and antagonistic camps, ‘the pure people’ vs ‘the corrupt elite’, and which argues that politics should be an expression of the volonté générale (general will) of the people.
What are the four core concepts of populism?
1- the people (an empty signifier?
2- the elite (political establishment)
3- general will (capacity of people to join a community)
4- the heartland (the territory of imagination)
What different approches to populism are there? (4)
1- Populism as ideology
2- Populism as political communication
3- Populism as political style
4- Populism as a discursive strategy
Explain the approach to populism as an ideology
An ideology which pits virtuous and homogeneous people against a set of elites and dangerous ‘others’ who are together depicted as depriving (or attempting to deprive) the sovereign people of their rights, values, prosperity, identity and voice.
Explain the approach to populism as an political communication
How three key actors – (1) political parties, (2) the media, and (3) citizens – relate to populism in their communication. With populism as an expression of political communication content and style, we zoom in on the functions and expressions that come into play when crafting and distributing messages, the fora in which these appear, and their potential effects.
