What is Populism?

“Us vs. Them” is a commonly used concept by populists. They polarize the society by solidifying the pre-existing divides between the authentic ‘people’ and so-called ‘enemies’ or ‘outsiders.’ According to a report by The Guardian, 1.7 billion people were living under a populist leader at the start of 2023. Although the number decreased compared to the 2.5 million in 2020, the concept of “populism” has intrigued political scientists and its surge established a place in the international community. 

Populism can be defined as ‘reflecting a deep suspicion of the prevailing establishment, which is believed to conspire against people instead of working in their interests.’ Populists believe that people are defined as the ‘true repositories of the soul of the nation.’ Contrary to its similarly-structured word called ‘popular,’ many scholars have raised a question of whether populism fits within the principles of democracy. Donald Trump in the United States and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil were well-known as previous populist leaders. In the current state, Joko Widodo in Indonesia and Narendra Modi in India are known for their characteristics as populist leaders. 

On the one hand, scholars claim that populism doesn’t promote liberal democracy but is rather closer to ‘majoritarianism,’ the idea that the rule set by the majority of a population should be upheld. Jan Kubik, professor of Political Science at Rutgers University, said that “There is no democracy that is no liberal democracy. A fundamental component is the protection of the rights of the minorities. We typically don’t see this with populist governments.” He pointed out that while liberal democracy aims to protect minority rights, the rise in populism led to increased persecution of LGBT citizens, women, and migrants. 

On the other hand, others claim that populism is necessary for democracy, and populism does not have to be translated into an authoritarian structure all the time. For example, Historian David Critchlow defines populism as ‘grassroots’ or ‘anti-elitist movements’ that change public policy. He believes that populism is necessary for democracy as the ‘social movements’ are necessary for ‘democratic renewal’ as they can translate popular discontent into government taking actions to address the concerns and issues.

With differing perspectives among the community on whether populism promotes or impedes democracy, it is yet too early to draw a definite conclusion. Just because the leader claims that they represent the poor and the underprivileged and that they can satisfy the demands of the majority of the society, does the same apply to their actions? What are some possible means to continue implementing checks on the political leaders? A wide range of debate and viewpoints are necessary.