POLS214

Social Science (SS), Global Perspectives (GP)

Populism is a political ideology that claims society is comprised of two antagonistic groups. The "elite" include career government officials, the media, and the very wealthy who command political power and use it to their advantage. By contrast, "the people," who are law-abiding and hard-working citizens struggling to make ends meet, are essentially powerless and therefore ruled over and manipulated by an elite-controlled, out-of-touch government. Often associated with other ideologies, such as socialism, liberalism, and nationalism, populism advocates the empowerment of the people, whose righteousness will democratize politics and redirect the institutions of the state to serve the "general will." In addition to exploring populism’s core tenets from an ideational perspective, this course surveys core themes of populism that are found in the various sub-fields of political science (theory, American politics, comparative politics, and international relations). By doing so, it also considers populism’s impact on politics and government within liberal democratic countries – developed, post-communist, and developing, as well as these countries’ external relations. It also considers political reforms these countries might pursue to meet populism’s challenge to liberal democracy. No prerequisites.