By Haylee Dilugi
Populism is a political movement that favors the common person over the perceived elite or the establishment. Populism usually combines elements of the left and the right, opposing large business and financial interests. Populism originated with the People's Party in 1892. This late nineteenth century party was a left-wing agrarian movement. The roots of the party lay with the Farmers alliance and promoted collective economic action by farmers. They also believed in curtailing the power of corporate and financial establishments. Some of their platform's demands later became constitutional amendments, such as the progressive tax system. Furthermore, the populist demand for direct democracy through popular initiatives and referenda became common use in the United States.
Today, populism takes on a more generic meaning, referring to any anti-establishment movement regardless of where the movement sits on the left-right political spectrum. The political stance often emphasises the idea of the people and is against people viewed as the elite. The people are often perceived as pure and morally good, against the elite who are seen as corrupt and selfish. Populist parties are often led by strong charismatic leaders who identify themselves as the voice of the people. Today populism is often combined with ideologies including nationalism, liberalism, and socialism. Populism in its most democratic form seeks to defend the interests of citizens and maximize the powers and abilities of the ordinary people.
Elements of populism are often associated with authoritarian governments and movements with its contemporary understanding. People believe that a leader will use popuist tactics to help consolidate power. When populism is associated with authoritarianism political parties lose their importance, and elections serve to confirm the leader’s authority rather than to reflect the needs and desires of the people. Authoritarian populism is characterized by extreme nationalism, racism, and scapegoating of marginalized groups. These efforts all serve to consolidate the leader’s power, and to help distract public attention from the leader’s failures. Some examples of regimes that used authoritarian populism to gain and retain control include Latin American leaders such as Juan Peron, Getúlio Vargas, and Hugo Chavez. Populist leaders often use media to garner support. For instance, Hugo Chavez had a weekly show that gave Venezuelans the appearance to have direct contact with power.
The 2016 presidential election saw a wave of populist sentiment in the campaigns of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, with both candidates running on anti-establishment platforms in the Democratic and Republican parties, respectively. Both campaigns criticised free trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Trump is often associated with populist tendencies due to his anti-establishment nature and his appeals to be for the people, however he often sides with corporate interests.
Comments