What is populism?

Jan-Werner Müller, 1970-

Book - 2016

This work argues that at populism's core is a rejection of pluralism. Populists will always claim that they and they alone represent the people and their true interests. Müller also shows that, contrary to conventional wisdom, populists can govern on the basis of their claim to exclusive moral representation of the people: if populists have enough power, they will end up creating an authoritarian state that excludes all those not considered part of the proper "people." The book proposes a number of concrete strategies for how liberal democrats should best deal with populists and, in particular, how to counter their claims to speak exclusively for "the silent majority" or "the real people." - Provided by t...he publisher.

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Subjects
Published
Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press [2016]
Language
English
Main Author
Jan-Werner Müller, 1970- (author)
Physical Description
123 pages ; 23 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 105-119).
ISBN
9780812248982
  • Introduction: Is Everyone a Populist?
  • 1. What Populists Say
  • 2. What Populists Do, or Populism in Power
  • 3. How to Deal with Populists
  • Conclusion: Seven Theses on Populism
  • Notes
  • Acknowledgments
Review by Choice Review

In What Is Populism, Müller expands the discussion on populism to analyze how individuals can engage with populists. He warns us against the anti-democratic, anti-pluralist aspects of populism, but asks us to reconsider populists as individuals with real grievances that should be addressed. His critique on populism is incisive; however, it is also a critique on the lack of engagement with those whom populists appeal to. Müller has provided us with a series of historical events from which we can learn how to engage with contemporary populists. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. --Margaret Mary Riley, Louisiana State University

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.