What is populism?

Imagine a political movement that transcends the traditional left-right spectrum, unified not by a specific economic plan, but by the conviction that the "real people" have been betrayed by a "corrupt elite." This is the essence of populism: it is less a set of policies and more a moralistic framework for viewing the world. To understand populism at a university level, we must look past the headlines and toward the definition provided by political scientist [Cas Mudde](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cas_Mudde). He characterizes populism as a **thin-centered ideology**. Unlike "thick" ideologies such as Marxism or Liberalism—which offer comprehensive views on social organization, economics, and ethics—populism is a skeletal structure. It focuses almost exclusively on the relationship between two antagonistic groups. > "Populism is an ideology that considers society to be ultimately separated into two homogeneous and antagonistic groups, 'the pure people' versus 'the corrupt elite,' and which argues that politics should be an expression of the *volonté générale* (general will) of the people." — Cas Mudde, [The Populist Radical Right: A Reader](https://www.routledge.com/The-Populist-Radical-Right-A-Reader/Mudde/p/book/9780415518864) ### The Anti-Pluralist Core A common mistake is to equate populism with "popular" policies or mere demagoguery. However, as [Jan-Werner Müller](https://politics.princeton.edu/people/jan-werner-muller) argues in his seminal work *What is Populism?*, the defining feature of populism is its **anti-pluralism**. Populists do not simply claim to represent a majority; they claim they are the *only* ones who represent the *authentic* people. This leads to several distinct behaviors: - **Exclusionary Logic:** If the populist represents the "real people," then anyone who disagrees must, by definition, not belong to "the people." This labels opponents as "enemies of the state" or "illegitimate." - **Moral Monopolization:** Politics is no longer a negotiation between competing interests; it becomes a moral struggle between virtue (the people) and vice (the elite). - **Institutional Friction:** Because populists believe they possess a direct mandate from the people, they often view independent institutions—such as the judiciary, the free press, or central banks—as obstacles to be dismantled. ### Populism as a Political Strategy Beyond ideology, populism functions as a **performative style**. Political theorist [Ernesto Laclau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_Laclau) argued that populism uses "empty signifiers"—broad slogans like "take back control" or "hope"—that allow diverse groups with different grievances to project their hopes onto a single leader. Whether it is the left-wing populism of Evo Morales in Bolivia or the right-wing populism of Viktor Orbán in Hungary, the mechanism remains the same: the construction of a "people" through the identification of a common enemy. Ultimately, populism is a symptom of a perceived failure in representative democracy. It arises when citizens feel that the "thick" ideologies of the establishment no longer speak to their lived reality, leaving a vacuum that only a moralistic, "thin" ideology can fill.