The Populist Zeitgeist
Top Cited Papers
- 1 January 2004
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Government and Opposition
- Vol. 39 (4) , 541-563
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1477-7053.2004.00135.x
Abstract
Since the 1980s the rise of so-called ‘populist parties’ has given rise to thousands of books, articles, columns and editorials. This article aims to make a threefold contribution to the current debate on populism in liberal democracies. First, a clear and new definition of populism is presented. Second, the normal-pathology thesis is rejected; instead it is argued that today populist discourse has become mainstream in the politics of western democracies. Indeed, one can even speak of a populist Zeitgeist. Third, it is argued that the explanations of and reactions to the current populist Zeitgeist are seriously flawed and might actually strengthen rather than weaken it.This publication has 26 references indexed in Scilit:
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