‘We, the People’ Understanding Populism in the Twenty-first Century

This article explores the concept and practice of ‘populism’ which has taken on new and virulent forms in the early twenty-first century. With ancient roots in political theory and practice, modern populism is in essence a morality tale, partitioning society and politics into ‘people’ versus ‘elites’. Academic writing on populism, however, takes the people/elites distinction for granted, and fails to provide adequate analysis of populism’s social base. Nevertheless, populism as a political and social movement should be taken seriously with its powerful intellectual roots and ability to cut through the complexities of modern politics. Populism has deep roots in the USA currently providing leadership of the ‘Reactionary International’, particularly in performative terms as articulating the voice of ‘the people’. What much writing on populism lacks is systematic analysis of its social base, in particular who is susceptible to its message given the appeal of authoritarian values in modern societies.