Populism

Populism is one of the most contested political ideas of the modern age. It has also become a key concept in the social sciences, especially in the last few decades. Both as a polemic and as a concept, populism has accompanied democratic politics since at least the late nineteenth century. The current “populist revolt” suggests this embryonic relationship between populism and democracy is here to stay. In this article, we offer a summative account of populism, including why it is centrally oriented towards the figure of the sovereign people, as well as a discussion the most relevant approaches and a general assessment of this crucial topic. We conclude with a brief consideration of the challenges the current populist wave poses to democracy.