Populism in world politics A comparative cross-regional perspective

• Published in: International political science review Vol. 38; no. 4; pp. 399 - 411
• Main Authors: Hadiz, Vedi R, Chryssogelos, Angelos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England Sage Publications, Ltd 01-09-2017; SAGE Publications; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Comparative analysis; Developing countries; Elites; Globalization; Identity politics; Insecure; International relations; LDCs; Marginality; Meaning; Modernity; Neoliberalism; Political identity; Politics; Populism; Regions; Social conflict; Latin America; Populism; Asia; Europe; Africa; neoliberal globalisation; Latin America
• ISSN: 0192-5121; 1460-373X
• DOI: 10.1177/0192512117693908

Populism has become more salient in multiple regions in the world, in developed as well as developing countries. Today it is largely a reaction to social dislocations tied to processes of neoliberal globalisation. As a concept, populism has had a long and contentious history. We suggest that populism has been on the rise alongside new imaginings of what constitutes the ‘people’ and ‘elites’, as the meanings attached to these labels are continually reshaped in conjunction with new social conflicts. These conflicts are intensifying across the globe together with new kinds of social marginalisation, precarious existence and disenchantment with the broken promises of liberal modernity. The article introduces a special issue on Populism in World Politics that seeks to understand general processes involved in the emergence of populist politics along with specific circumstances that affect how it is expressed in terms of identity politics, political strategies and shifting social bases.