UPSC MAINS SOCIOLOGY SYLLABUS
PAPER 2 – CHAPTER 7 – Politics and Society
- Sociological theories of power.
- Power elite, bureaucracy, pressure groups, and political parties.
- Nation, state, citizenship, democracy, civil society, ideology.
- Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action, revolution.
INTRODUCTION
The term populism goes back to the Latin word “populus”, which means “the people”. Today, populism is understood to mean a certain style of politics. Populism is a political movement that attempts to appeal to “the people” by convincing them that its leaders alone represent them and their concerns that are being ignored by a real or perceived “elite establishment.”
MEANING
Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of “the people” and often juxtapose this group against “the elite”. It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. Populism usually refers to an ideology or discourse claiming to defend the interests of “the pure people” against “the corrupt elite”.
RISE OF POPULISM
Populism is on the rise – especially among Europe’s right, and in the US, where it helped crown Mr Trump.Italy’s populist Five Star Movement and anti-immigrant League parties have emerged as two major players in the latest elections – the most recent of several such results in Europe.
Populist parties can be anywhere on the political spectrum. In Latin America, there was Venezuela’s late President Chávez. In Spain, there is the Podemos party, and in Greece the label has also been applied to Syriza.
CHARACTERISTICS OF POPULISM
Populists also stir up fear and insecurity by focusing on negative stories. They warn of alleged dangers posed by certain groups of the population, such as ethnic minorities, feminists, LGBTQI persons or immigrants.
Complex social issues are extremely simplified and often highly emotionalised. This simplification is intended to create the impression that populists are better suited to resolve problems than their competitors or “the elite”.
Another feature of populism is that there is one or several charismatic leader(s).
POPULISM AND DEMOCRACY
Even if moderate populism is not automatically anti-democratic, extreme populism as well as right-wing populism cannot be reconciled with the values of a liberal democracy.
Populists do not appreciate pluralism. They see the people as a homogeneous mass. Only certain political positions and attitudes are accepted. In more extreme cases, dissenting opinions are even seen as treason.
By distinguishing between “us” and “them”, populists fuel distrust in democratic organisations. For example, they tell their supporters that elections are not reliable or that the government and elites are acting against the will of the people.
CONCLUSION
“Populist messages of division — of ‘us versus them’ — can prevail, however, in polarized political environments and when trust in mainstream politicians and institutions is low. In short, populism appears when there are real social and economic problems that need to be addressed and when the parties that are supposed to provide representation for citizens have failed to solve real challenges for too long.”Populists, however, do not appreciate such pluralism. They see the people as a homogeneous mass. Only certain political positions and attitudes are accepted. In more extreme cases, dissenting opinions are even seen as treason”.
