Populism
A political style that frames politics as a struggle between a virtuous 'people' and a corrupt 'elite' — and offers a charismatic leader to channel the people's will.
Origin
The term comes from the 1890s US Populist Party (agrarian, anti-railroad, anti-bank). Modern political scientists (Cas Mudde) define populism as a 'thin ideology' — it attaches to left and right hosts. Left-populism: Hugo Chávez, Evo Morales, the Latin American 'pink tide.' Right-populism: Berlusconi, Orbán, Le Pen, Trump, Modi, Erdoğan. The mechanics are similar across the spectrum — direct appeals to 'the people,' hostility to mediating institutions (courts, press, parties), claims to embody the nation's true will.
Modern usage
Used carefully by political scientists, loosely by everyone else. 'Right-wing populism' has been the defining political story of 2015–2025 in the US and Europe. The word is currently a slur on the center-left and a near-compliment on the populist right. 'Demagogue' (older Greek term, more pejorative) is the rough synonym.
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