Cultural Backlash: Trump, Brexit and Authoritarian Populism

Abstract

The book on which this review is based is one of the most recent in the study of the development of 21st century populism. In it, the authors advance a general theory that explains how a revolution in values has been the trigger for support for populist-authoritarian forces in Europe and the United States, something that had not previously been done for such a wide range of countries.To do this they establish the fundamentals for understanding how and why populism and its rhetoric is being used to legitimise the style of governance of some (such as Trump), while promoting authoritarian values that will threaten the liberal norms of the democracies of Europe and the United States. By studying recent major events, such as Trump's triumph in the US White House or Brexit in the UK, the authors study the growth of authoritarian-populism in the world regions mentioned, and explain it with a new theory, named Cultural Backlash Theory. I would first like to point out an important aspect for understanding the theoretical extension and empirical implications of this study. It provides a broad empirical vision that explains in depth the relationship with the rise of populist/authoritarian parties and examines the social and political framework in which certain events have taken place that have had a greater or lesser impact on societies, such as the Brexit process.