Summary
Highlights
Populism is primarily understood as a discursive style used by political parties to articulate political reality, rather than a strict ideology. It is characterized by three core elements found in populist discourse.
The first element is an appeal to the 'people,' advocating for their sovereignty and defense. The second element identifies 'elites' (political, economic, media, scientific) as corrupt, contemptuous, and unresponsive to the people. The third element involves identifying an external group perceived as a threat to the societal majority, often leading to policy proposals for national preference.
People are receptive to populist discourses due to social transformations that create uncertainty, insecurity, and crises (economic, political, military), leading to a sense of lost control. A thirty-year decline in trust in politicians, parties, and governments has made citizens more open to populist ideas and their simplistic solutions to complex problems.
The internet and social media algorithms contribute significantly to populism by creating 'echo chambers.' These chambers disseminate ideologically homogeneous content, preventing exposure to diverse or contrary information, thereby reinforcing existing beliefs and favoring the spread of populist messages.
The combination of people seeking meaning, political parties addressing insecurity, and a communication system that amplifies populist messages creates a 'perfect storm' for the rise of populism in democracies today.