Essentially a political outlook or mentality rather than an ideology, identified by a popular reaction to dramatic change, such as rapid industrialization. People feel that events are beyond their control, which is blamed on some conspiracy of foreigners, ethnic groups, economic interests, or intellectuals. The populist reaction is to regain control from the suggested centres of power, usually through some form of participation, and to seek revenge and redemption. Beyond that, populism is an obscure and variable outlook, and has failed to establish political parties successfully. It is often found in underdeveloped countries as a reaction against more developed countries. In the USA, it developed as a political stance that minimized the importance of elite leadership. The Populist Party sought the presidency twice (1888, 1892) on a platform supporting the interests of farmers. It briefly won control of several states, as well as a number of seats in Congress. After 1892 it was absorbed into the Democratic Party.
Populism is a political philosophy or rhetorical style that holds that the common person's interests are oppressed or hindered by the elite in society, and that the instruments of the state need to be grasped from this self-serving elite and used for the benefit and advancement of the people as a whole. Hence a populist is one who is perceived to craft his or her rhetoric as appeals to the economic, social, and common sense concerns of average people. Most scholarship on populism since 1980 has discussed it as a rhetorical style that can be used to promote a variety of political ideologies. Leaders of populist movements in recent decades have claimed to have been on both the left and the right (Canovan, Kazin, Betz) of the political spectrum, while some populists claim to be neither "left wing," "centrist" nor "right wing."
Populism is often thought of as in opposition to elitism.
Leaders of populist movements have variously promised to stand up to corporate power, remove "corrupt" elites, and "put people first." Populism incorporates anti-regime politics, and sometimes espouses, especially among the right wing varieties, nationalism, jingoism, racism or religious fundamentalism (Canovan, Kazin, Betz, Brass).
Populist methods
Populism is characterized by a sometimes radical critique of the status quo, but on the whole does not have a strong political identity as either a left-wing or right-wing movement. Populism has taken left-wing, right-wing, and even centrist forms. In recent years, conservative United States politicians have begun adopting populist rhetoric; Also in recent years, "left-wing" United States politicians have increasingly begun adopting populist rhetoric; for example, by contrast, the American liberal may tend to rail against large corporations, claiming that business conglomerates put profits ahead of ordinary people and bend the process of government to meet their corporate needs. The use of the term "two Americas" in the 2004 Presidential Democratic Party campaign of John Edwards is an example of an attempt to employ Populist themes to persuade voters.
Populists are seen by some politicians as a largely democratic and positive force in society, even while a wing of scholarship in political science contends that populist mass movements are irrational and introduce instability into the political process.
Agrarian populism Commodity farmer movements with radical economic agendas such as the US People's Party of the late 19th century. Political populism Populist democracy, including calls for more political participation through reforms such as the use of popular referendums. Politicians' populism marked by non-ideological appeals for "the people" to build a unified coalition. Populist dictatorship, such as that established by Juan Perón in Argentina. (Canovan, 1981)History
Classical populism
The word populism is derived from the Latin word populus, which means people in English (in the sense of "nation," as in: "The Roman People (populus Romanus), not in the sense of "multiple individual persons" as in: "There are people visiting us today"). Therefore, populism espouses government by the people as a whole (that is to say, the masses).
Populism has been a common political phenomenon throughout history. Spartacus could be considered a famous example of a populist leader of ancient times through his slave rebellion against the rulers of Ancient Rome. In fact, such leaders of the Roman Republic as Gaius Marius, Julius Caesar, and Caesar Augustus would all fall into the populist category, as all used referenda to go over the Roman Senate's head and establish the laws that they saw fit.
Early modern period
The same conditions which contributed to the outbreak of the English Revolution of 1642-1651, also known as the English Civil War, also led to a proliferation of ideologies and political movements among peasants, self-employed artisans, and working class people in England.
Religious revival
Romanticism, the anxiety against rationalism, broadened after the beginnings of the European and Industrial Revolutions because of cultural, social, and political insecurity. Romanticism led directly into a strong popular desire to bring about religious revival, nationalism and populism. The ensuing religious revival eventually blended into political populism and nationalism, becoming at times a single entity, and a powerful force of public will for change.
The revival of religiosity all over Europe played an important role in bringing people to populism and nationalism.
Rejection of ultramontanism
Chateaubriand's beginning brought about two Catholic Revivals in France: first, a conservative revival led by Joseph de Maistre, which defended ultramontanism, also known as the supremacy of the Pope in the church, and a second populist revival led by Felicite de Lamennais, an excommunicated priest. This religious populism opposed ultramontanism and emphasized a church community dependent upon all of the people, not just the elite.
Elitist nationalism
Nationalism turned in the second half of the 19th century and the nationalist sentiment was altered into an elitist and conservative doctrine.
Power-state theorist and multi-volume historian Heinrich von Treitschke's Politics talked about top-down nationalism in which the state is the creator of the nation, not a result thereof.
Von Treitschke's nationalism had a dark side.
Populism in Latin America
Populism has been a strong component of Latin American political history.
Populism in the United States of America
The United States saw the formation of such political parties during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as the Populist Party, the Greenback Party, the Single Tax movement of Henry George, the Progressive Party of 1912 led by Theodore Roosevelt, the Progressive Party of 1924 led by Robert M. Some left-wing populist parties advocated socialism, while other populists rejected both socialism and capitalism, notably Huey Long and Father Charles Coughlin.
George Wallace of Alabama led a populist movement that carried five states and won 13.5% of the popular vote in the 1968 presidential election.
Populism continues to be a force in modern US politics, especially in the 1992 and 1996 third-party presidential campaigns of billionaire Ross Perot. The 1996, 2000 and the 2004 presidential campaigns of Ralph Nader had a strong populist cast. The 2004 campaigns of Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton also had populist elements.
Comparison between earlier surges of Populism and those of today are complicated by shifts in what are thought to be the interests of the common people.
Over time, there have been several versions of a Populist Party in the United States, inspired by the People's Party of the 1890s. This was the party of the early U.S. populist movement in which millions of farmers and other working people successfully challenged much of the social ills engendered by the "Gilded Age" monopolists.
In 1984, the Populist Party name was revived by Willis Carto, and was used in 1988 as a vehicle for the presidential campaign of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.
In 1995, the Reform Party was organized after the populist presidential campaign of Ross Perot in 1992.
In the 2000s, many smaller populist parties were formed in America, including the Populist Party of America in 2002, and the American Populist Renaissance in 2005. The American Moderation Party, also formed in 2005, adopted several populist ideals, chief among them working against multinational neo-corporatism. Within the American media, CNN's Lou Dobbs is perhaps the most prominant voice of political populism.
Populism in Germany
See: Völkisch movement
Fichte began the development of nationalism by stating that people have the ethical duty to further their nation.Populism in France
In France, the populist and nationalist picture was more mystical and metaphysical in nature.
Historian Jules Michelet fused nationalism and populism by positing the people as a mystical unity who are the driving force of history in which the divinity finds its purpose. Michelet's ideas are not socialism or rational politics, and his populism always minimizes, or even masks, social class differences. In the late 18th century, the French Revolution, though led by wealthy intellectuals, could also be described as a manifestation of populist sentiment against the elitist excesses and privileges of the Ancien Régime.Current or recent populists
Examples of contemporary populists include:
Pauline Hanson in Australia Jörg Haider in Austria Evo Morales in Bolivia Volen Siderov in Bulgaria Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil Pia Kjærsgaard in Denmark Edgar Savisaar in Estonia Jean-Marie Le Pen in France M.G. Hugo Chávez in VenezuelaNot all politicians who adopt a populist campaign are true populists. Some politicians adopting the rhetoric and language of populism are criticized for using populist rhetoric merely as an organizing tactic without any actual intent of standing up for common people. And not all politicians who are labeled 'populists' are populists, or consider themselves to be populist. Rehearsals for Fascism: Populism and Political Mobilization in Weimar Germany. Radical Right-wing Populism in Western Europe, New York: St. Martins Press. The Populist Persuasion: An American History. ISBN 1-57230-568-1, ISBN 1-57230-562-2
Populism could be used to describe Popular culture and Popular science. Also see Populist Party.
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