Abstract: 'This lucid guide is essential reading' Guardian From Donald Trump to Recep Erdogan, populists are on rise across globe. But what exactly is populism? Should everyone who criticizes Wall Street or Washington be called a populist? What precisely is difference between right-wing and left-wing populism? Does populism bring government closer to or is it a threat to democracy? Who are the people anyway and who can speak in their name? These questions have never been more pressing. In this provocative book, Jan-Werner Muller argues that at populism's core is a rejection of pluralism. Populists will always claim that they and they alone represent and their true interests. Contrary to conventional wisdom, populists can govern on basis of their claim to exclusive moral representation of people: if populists have enough power, they will end up creating an authoritarian state that excludes all those not considered part of proper people. Proposing a number of concrete strategies for how liberal democrats should best deal with populists, Muller shows how to counter their claims to speak exclusively for the silent majority. *Updated with a new afterword*
Publication Year: 2016
Publication Date: 2016-09-06
Language: en
Type: book
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Cited By Count: 594
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