Help Us Stay Paywall-Free

We rely on readers to keep our website open to all. Help sustain a public space for collective reasoning and imagination—make a tax-deductible donation today.

October 26, 2019

Is Populism a Problem?

A bumper crop of brilliant essays on why populism isn't “anti-elite”, Trump isn’t a populist, and more.

In the UK, much to the Prime Minister’s chagrin, the House of Commons approved another delay to Brexit this week. In response, the government trotted out its favorite sound bite: this is just another example of “the people versus parliament.”

Intended to tap into populist disdain for the elite, this canny messaging strategy from Boris Johnson and his team raises questions about the nature of populism. For instance, if workers are angry with market-driven inequalities, why are they gravitating towards leaders who are cozy with crony capitalists? 

The essays in today’s reading list seek to answer this question and more, deftly peeling back the perfunctory explanation of populism as simply “anti-elite” sentiment. David Runciman argues that populism is a product of peace; Jan-Werner Müller contends that it is not anti-establishment but anti-pluralist; Cas Mudde writes that Trump is not a populist; and Jason Frank believes that the term is a trojan horse that distracts us from the real causes of democratic decline.

We’re also excited to bring you a brand new essay from Udi Greenberg on the relationship between populism and Christian Democracy. The political philosophy embraced by Germany’s leading party helped reunite Europe after World War II, but can it guide us safely away from today’s populism—or did it cause it?

Udi Greenberg

The political philosophy embraced by Germany’s leading party helped reunite Europe after World War II. Can it guide us safely away from today’s populism—or did it cause it?

Jason Frank

The charge of populism says at least as much about those making it as it does about their opponents.

David Runciman, Joshua Cohen
Joshua Cohen talks to David Runciman about his new book, political action, and finding hope in the end of democracy.
Suzanne Berger
Forget retraining and compensation programs. History offers a better way forward. 
Rogers Brubaker

The very forces that sustain populist politics could eventually undermine populism.

Pranab Bardhan
It's cultural resentment, not economic malaise.
Jan-Werner Müller

Trump shows us that populism is not the same as legitimate protest—or democracy.

Jo Guldi

Brexit is an episode in the long contest between rulers and the working class.

Cas Mudde

European analogies abound, but the GOP frontrunner is homegrown.

Marshall Steinbaum

Plutocracy, not global competition, harms the middle class.

Sindre Bangstad
Abbas Milani

Understanding the Rise of Iran's President

Our weekly themed Reading Lists compile the best of Boston Review’s archive. Sign up for our newsletters to get them straight to your inbox before they appear online.

Boston Review is nonprofit and reader funded.

We believe in the power of collective reasoning and imagination to create a more just world. That’s why we’re committed to keeping our website free and open to everyone, regardless of ability to pay. But we can’t do it without the financial support of our readers.

Help sustain a public space for collective reasoning and imagination, without ads or paywalls:

Become a supporting reader today.

Get Our Newsletter

Sign up to get vital reading on politics, literature, and more sent straight to your inbox.

Donate Today!

Most Recent

How U.S. laws—branding Palestinians as “terrorists” and redefining anti-Semitism—serve Israel’s interests.

Maryam Jamshidi

Israel's weaponization of images since October 7 obfuscates its genocidal campaign against Palestinians.

Ariella Azoulay
Thad Williamson

Just in time for the holidays, get any three print issues of Boston Review for just $35 – that’s 40% off the cover price!

Before December 9, mix and match any three issues for one low price using code 3FOR35.

Just in time for the holidays, get any three print issues of Boston Review for just $35 – that’s 40% off the cover price!

Before December 9, mix and match any three issues for one low price using code 3FOR35.

"An indispensable pillar of the public sphere."

That’s what sociologist Alondra Nelson says of Boston Review. Independent and nonprofit, we believe in the power of collective reasoning and imagination to create a more just world.

That’s why there are no paywalls on our website, but we can’t do it without the support of our readers. Please make a tax-deductible donation to help us create a more inclusive and egalitarian public sphere—open to everyone, regardless of ability to pay.