Comparative Populism

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Populism is among the most hotly debated topics across the social sciences. For decades after the Second World War, populism seemed to be a Latin American phenomenon. However, from the 1980s, it increasingly spread to advanced democracies. By the 2010s, large parts of the world are struggling with the rise of various forms of populism. This course will introduce populism in theory and practice, analyzing key cases around the world, with a special attention to Europe, home to the world’s most entrenched populist parties. The course explores various definitions of populism, then digs deep into the social, cultural, and economic roots of the populist movement. The course continues by discussing the key characteristics, similarities, and differences of populist parties in different regions of the world. While the course follows an interdisciplinary approach, it foregrounds neglected sociological and political-economic issues that point beyond questions of political institutions and elite agency.