Populism versus Democracy

Abstract

This article provides a comparative conceptual analysis of the logic of populism and the logic of (constitutional) democracy. Populism is defined as a thin-centered ideology which advocates the sovereign rule of the people as a homogeneous body. The logic of this ideology is further developed in reference to the work of Carl Schmitt and is shown to generate all the characteristics typically ascribed to populism. The logic of democracy is analyzed on the basis of the work of Claude Lefort and defined as a regime in which the locus of power remains an empty place. This analysis replaces the widespread model of constitutional democracy as a paradoxical combination of a constitutional and a democratic pillar. This two-pillar model fails to appreciate the internal coherence and some of the main features of the (constitutional) democratic logic. Thereby, the two-pillar approach gives rise to an understanding of populism as continuous with the democratic promise of constitutional democracy. In contrast, our analysis explains populism as the closure of the empty place of democracy. This highlights the antagonistic discontinuity between the logic of populism and the logic of democracy.P O L I T I C A L S T U D I E S : 2 0 0 7 VO L 5 5 , 4 0 5 -4 2 4

Populism in Indonesia and its Threats to Democracy

“…The third is the populism of Islamic parties that started from the Middle East and then flourished to Turkey and Indonesia. According to Mudde and Kaltwasser, the ideology of the populist movement is necessary but it is not a strongly formulated ideology such as liberalism, fascism and socialism [8]. There is even a tendency for the populist movement to borrow some of these ideologies in their activities.…”

“…In addition to this assumption, populism believes in the sovereignty of the people who are increasingly neglected in the political process. People are also seen as having similar spirit and homogenous, which often results in the exclusion of 'people' that is inconsistent with their views [8]. Populism is thus regarded as a way out which represents the voice of ordinary people and which often appears and strengthens along with the birth of a charismatic leader.…”

“…Particularly in the context of Indonesia's still-poorly institutionalized democratic system, the tendency of authoritarianism, the tyranny of the majority and the neglect of the basic principles of democracy such as equality and pluralism inherent in the populist movement can pose a threat to democracy. This tendency makes populism labeled as 'proto-totalitarian' that can replace the democracy system [8].…”

Constructing ‘the French people’ – On Sarkozy’s populism

“…Pappas 2014;Pauwels 2014). Whilst the term 'populism' is often used in order to refer to a political strategy that is corrupting democracy (Abts and Rummens 2007;Taguieff 2007) and which is sometimes associated with extreme ideologies (Wodak 2015;Wodak, KhosraviNik, and Mral 2013), we take a step back and, in the first instance, try to understand it as a political style that is part of deliberation processes (Canovan 2005;Moffitt 2016;Mudde 2004). According to Mény and Surel, we understand populism as a people's ideology comprising the following: an imaginary community within a particular territory mostly in the framework of a nationstate (Anderson 1983); a belief in the sovereignty of this imagined community and a scepticism vis-à-vis the political elites who are suspected of betraying the people's will (cf.…”

Persuasive Populism? Estimating the Effect of Populist Messages on Political Cynicism

“…Some scholars have argued that the rise of populism poses a threat to liberal democracy (e.g. Abts & Rummens, 2007;Akkerman, 2003;Kaltwasser, 2012;Mudde & Kaltwasser, 2012). However, to empirically substantiate this claim, more knowledge is required about the consequences of the rise of populism.…”