print

Populism as a Political Phenomena and the Challenge of the Modern Democracy

Glukhova A.V.,

Dr. Sci. (Pol. Sci.), Professor of the Sociology and Political Science Department, Voronezh State University, Voronezh, Russia, avglukhova@mail.ru

elibrary_id: 77250 | ORCID: 0000-0002-3894-3229 |

DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2017.04.05

Rubric: Laboratory: This Popular Populism

For citation:

Glukhova A.V. Populism as a Political Phenomena and the Challenge of the Modern Democracy. – Polis. Political Studies. 2017. No. 4. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2017.04.05

Abstract

The article deals with the phenomenon of modern populism, its nature and varieties in terms of the post-modern and “post-democracy” epoch (K. Krauch). These terms are: decline of party system, medialization of politics, and wide promotion of experts using the party membership. The historical roots of modern populism are analyzed, such as demagogic speech practices of tyrants in ancient policies, and structural factors, which influenced the foremost crisis of public pluralism and disintegration of middle class. The author pays particular attention to such major components of populist motions as ideology of polarization (majority vs. minority), criticism of representative institutions, and a bright leader who is able to convert mass dissatisfaction into strategy of mass-mobilization. The author underlines the enormous role of modern mass-media that are capable of influencing the majority to share politics that is not in their interest: the corresponding mass reaction turns out to be irrational. Populism is contesting all indirect forms of political action created by representative government. It seeks to clear the political arena from party activities, filling it with a meaningful narrative, which is often is a retro-nationalism. Personalization of politics is not an accident, but rather a purpose of populism, especially in the case of the strategic use of mass media as a propaganda tool. The article outlines preliminary approaches to a possible typology of populist movements. The danger of radical populism that denies pluralism is noted, due its public discrediting of political institutions. The relevant examples of manifestation of populism are analyzed, such as D. Trump’s election campaign in the USA, and the activity of right populist political forces in European democracies. According to the author, it is important to take into account two kinds of requirements: increasing influence of citizens on the decision-making process and guaranteed opportunities for political participation. On this basis, new models of civic engagement, including advisory democracy, may be created, in which legislative procedures and the decision-making process will be thoroughly consulted with citizens (including online consultations), thereby generating “entry” to the political system, as well as development of expertise for the government and translation of the interests of various groups. 

Keywords

postmodern; glocalisation; media era; post-democracy; populism; demagogy; plebistsitarizm; retro-nationalism; civil society; consultative democracy.

 Full Text 

Albertazzi D., McDonnel D. Twenty-First Century Populism. The Spectre of Western European Democracy. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 2008. 251 p. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230592100

Arendt H. Between Past and Future: Six Exercises in Political Thought. (Russ. ed.: Arendt H. Mezhdu proshlym i budushchim. Vosem’ uprazhnenij v politicheskoj mysli. Moscow: Izd-vo Instituta Gajdara. 2014. 416 p.)

Beyme K. von. Populism and Right-Wing Extremism in Postmodern Party Systems. – Bereginya. 777. Sova. 2014. No. 4 (23). P. 101-109. (In Russ.)

Canovan M. Populism for Political Theorists? Journal of Political Ideologies. 2004. Vol. 9. No. 3. P. 241-252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1356931042000263500

Crouch C. Post-democracy. (Russ. ed.: Crouch C. Postdemokratiya. Moscow: Izd. dom Gos. un-ta Vysshej shkoly ehkonomiki. 2010. 192 p.)

Dahrendorf R. Auf der Suche nach einer neuen Ordnung. Eine Politik der Freiheit fur das 21. Jahrhundert. München: C.H. Beck Verlag. 2003. 147 p.

Fisun A.A. Towards a Rethinking of Post-Soviet Politics: a Neo-Patrimonial Interpretation. – Political Conceptology: Journal of Metadisciplinary Research. 2010. No. 4. P. 158-187. (In Russ.)

Fukuyama F. American Political Decay or Renewal? The Meaning of the 2016 Election. – Russia in Global Affairs. 2016. No. 5. URL: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2016-06-13/american-political-decay-or-renewal (accessed 28.05.2017).

Giddens A. Turbulent and Mighty Continent: What Future for Europe? (Russ. ed.: Giddens A. Nespokojnyj i mogushchestvennyj kontinent: chto zhdet Evropu v budushchem? Moscow: Delo. 2015. 240 p.)

Gudkov L. Inertia of Passive Adaptation. – Pro et Contra. 2011. January – April. P. 20-42.

Gudkov L. Priroda putinizma. – Vestnik obschestvennogo mneniya. Dannyie. Analiz, Diskussii. 2009. July – September. No. 3 (101). P. 6-21.

Kochanovich L. Vozniknovenie postpostkommunizma [Post-Post-Kommunism: Roots of the Phenomena]. – Rukovodstvo po dialogu. Doverie i identichnost’. Pod red. K. Chizhevskogo, I. Kulyas, M. Golyubevskogo [A Guide to Dialogue. Trust and Identity. Ed. K. Chizhevsky, I. Kulyas, M. Golyubevsky]. Sejny. 2015. 605 p. (In Russ.)

Lasch Ch. The Revolt of the Elites: And the Betrayal of Democracy. (Russ. ed.: Lasch Ch. Vosstanie ehlit i predatel’stvo demokratii. Moscow: Izd-vo Progress. 2002. 224 p.)

Levitsky S. Loxton J. Populism and Competitive Authoritarianism in the Andes. – Democratization. 2013. Vol. 20. No. 1. P. 107-136. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13510347.2013.738864

Martyanov V.S. Russian Political Regime in the Rent-estate Perspective. – Polis. Political Studies. 2016. No. 4. P. 81-99. (In Russ.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2016.04.08

Merkel W. Krise der Demokratie? Anmerkungen zu einem schwierigen Begriff. – Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte. 2016. (APuZ 40 – 42/2016). URL: http://www.bpb.de/apuz/234695/krise-der-demokratie-anmerkungen-zu-einem-schwierigen-begriff (accessed 30.05.2017).

Moffitt B., Tormey S. Rethinking Populism: Politics, Mediatisation and Political Style. – Political Studies. 2014. Vol. 62. No. 2. P. 381-397. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9248.12032

Morozova E.V. Gibridnost’ kak model’ razvitiya sovremennyh politicheskih institutov [Hybridism As a Model for the Development of Modern Political Institutions]. – Sovremennaya politicheskaya real’nost’ i gosudarstvo: slozhnye metody issledovanij: materialy XV Vserossijskogo nauchnogo seminara [Modern Political Reality and the State: Complex Methods of Research: Materials of the XV All-Russian Scientific Seminar]. Krasnodar: Vika-Print. 2014. P. 53-57.

Moska G. Storia di una dottrina politica. formazione e interpretazione, milano, giuffrè. (Russ. ed.: Moska G. Istoriya politicheskih doktrin. Moscow: Mysl’. 2012. 336 p.)

Mounk Y. Pitchfork Politics: The Populist Threat to Liberal Democracy. – Foreign Affairs. 2014. No. 5. P. 27-36.

Müller J.-W. Das demokratische Zeitalter. Eine politische Ideengeschichte Europas im 20. (Russ. ed.: Müller J.-W. Spory o demokratii: Politicheskie idei v Evrope XX veka. Moscow: Izd-vo Instituta Gajdara. 2014. P. 167-173.)

Müller J.-W. Populismus. Symptom einer Krise der politischen Repraesentation? – Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte (APuZ 40 – 42/2016). URL: http://www.bpb.de/apuz/234701/populismus-symptom-ein­er-krise-der-politischen-repraesentation?p=all (accessed 08.05.2017).

Norris P. Radical Right: Voters and Parties in the Electoral Market. New York: Cambridge University Press. 2005. 366 p. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511615955

Osztovics W., Kovar A., Fernsebner-Kokert B. Arena Analyse 2017 – Demokratie neu starten. Wien: Kovar & Partners. 76 p.

Pappas T.S. Modern Populism: Research Advances, Conceptual and Methodological Pitfall, and the Minimum Definition. Oxford Research Encyclopedias. 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.17

Pappas T.S. Populist Democracies: Post-Authoritarian Greece and Post-Communist Hungary. – Government and Opposition. 2014. Vol. 49. No.1. P. 1-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/gov.2013.21

Pauwels T. Measuring Populism: A Quantitative Text Analysis of Party Literature in Belgium. – Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties. 2011. Vol. 21 (1). P. 97-119. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1745728 9.2011.539483

Petuhov V.V. The Crisis Reality and Prospects of Political Transformation of the Russian Society. – Polis. Political Studies. 2016. No. 5. P. 8-24. (In Russ.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2016.05.02

Politicheskoe kak problema. Ocherki politicheskoj filosofii XX veka [Political As a Problem. Essays on the Political Philosophy of the Twentieth Century]. 2009. Moscow: Ideya-press. 2009. 224 p. (In Russ.)

Populismus. Gefahr fur die Demokratie oder nutzliches Korrektiv? Hrsg. von F. Decker. Wiesbaden: Westdeutscher Verlag, Opladen. 2006. 238 S.

Populist Politics and Liberal Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe. Ed. by G. Mesežnikov, O. Gyárfášová, D. Smilov. Bratislava: Institute for public affairs. 2008. 132 p.

Rozov N.S. The Theory of Political Regimes’ Transformation and Nature of Neopatrimonialism. – Polis. Political Studies. 2015. No. 6. P. 157-172. (In Russ.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2015.06.15

Rutland P. Russia’s Post-Soviet Elite. – Polis. Political Studies. 2016. No. 3. P. 55-72. (In Russ.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2016.03.06

Sawer M., Laycock D. Down with Elites and Up with Inequality: Market Populism in Australia and Canada. –Commonwealth & Comparative Politics. 2009. Vol. 47 (2). P. 133-150. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14662040902842836

Semenenko I.S. Identity Politics and Identities in Politics: Interethnic Perspectives in a European Context. – Polis. Political Studies. 2016. No. 4. P. 8-28. (In Russ.) DOI: https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2016.04.03

Smorgunov L.V. Political Between: the Phenomenon of Liminality in Contemporary Politics. – Polis. Political Studies. 2012. No. 5. P. 159-169. (In Russ.) URL: http://www.politstudies.ru/en/article/4627 (ac­cessed 31.05.2017).

Urbinati N. Democracy Disfigured. (Russ. ed.: Urbinati N. Iskazhennaya demokratiya. Mnenie, istina i narod. Moscow: Izd-vo Instituta Gajdara. 2016. 448 p.)

Vittori D. Is Populism Changing the Political Representation of Western Democracies? – Political Sciences & Public Affairs. 2015. Vol. 3. No. 1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4172/2332-0761.1000140

Wallerstein I. The End of the World as We Know It: Social Science for the Twenty-first Century. (Russ. ed.: Wallerstein I. Konec znakomogo mira: Sociologiya XXI veka. Moscow: Logos. 2004. 368 p.)

Weinstein G.I. Antiehlitnye nastroeniya i pod”em populizma v Evrope [Anti-elite Sentiment and the Rise of Populism in Europe]. – Prognozirovanie social’no-politicheskih processov i konfliktov v stranah Zapada i v Rossii [Prediction of Socio-Political Processes and Conflicts in the Countries of the West and in Russia]. Moscow: IMEMO RAN. 2016. 183 p.

Zolo D. Democracy and Complexity. A realist Approach. (Russ. ed.: Zolo D. Demokratiya i slozhnost’: realisticheskij podhod. Moscow: Izd. dom Gos.un-ta – Vysshej shkoly ehkonomiki. 2010. 320 p.)    

See also: