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What Is Populism?

2017 | History & Politics

'An essential book' Washington Post

From Donald Trump to Recep Erdogan, populists are on the rise across the globe. But what exactly is populism?

Should everyone who criticizes Wall Street or Washington be called a populist? What precisely is the difference between right-wing and left-wing populism? Does populism bring government closer to the people or is it a threat to democracy? Who are "the people" anyway and who can speak in their name? These questions have never been more pressing.

In this provocative book, Jan-Werner Müller argues that at populism's core is a rejection of pluralism. Populists will always claim that they and they alone represent the people and their true interests. Contrary to conventional wisdom, populists can govern on the basis of their claim to exclusive moral representation of the people: if populists have enough power, they will end up creating an authoritarian state that excludes all those not considered part of the proper "people". Proposing a number of concrete strategies for how liberal democrats should best deal with populists, Müller shows how to counter their claims to speak exclusively for "the silent majority".



Published by Penguin

Edition Paperback
ISBN 9780141987378
Language English

politics

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Added this item on Nov 13, 2017

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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated

Nov 13, 2017  
What Is Populism?
What Is Populism?
Jan-Werner Müller | 2017 | History & Politics
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Müller's analysis is one of the best and most up-to-date monographs on populism out there
In the current climate, this is an essential book, as Jan-Werner Müller defines populism's most salient characteristics - antielitism, antipluralism, exclusivity - explaining Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and other populists through this framework. He goes on to explain that populism is not just antiliberal, it is antidemocratic, and actually fails to be a real representational system for people once in power.

An interesting point made in this book is the fact that while certain grievances are completely credible, populists' assertion that they are the only legitimate voice to represent 'the will of the people', opposes democratic ideals in the first place - after all, that is what the electoral system is supposed to represent. He also makes a clear distinction between those claiming to be anti-establishment and populist - making the comparison between Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, as Sanders never claimed to represent 100 per cent of the population, or pretended not to be part of elite institutions.

Müller is certainly right to challenge, or at least qualify, the popular talk of a populist wave by pointing out that “to this day, no right-wing populist has come to power in Western Europe or North American [sic] without the collaboration of established conservative elites.” It is a quick read, and worth every page.
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