Definitions and typologies of populism

Abstract

Populism has engendered intense debates due to the threat it may pose to representative democracies. The purpose of this article is to examine and evaluate the scientific meaning of populism that avoids a 'policy style' of analysis. After a brief overview of older approaches of populism, the paper presents a critical discussion of current typologies of populism. Three different definitions of populism are examined: Populism as 1) ideology, 2) political power strategy, and 1) discursive practice. It is argued that generic definitions of populism are either too abstract or focus mainly on Latin American cases. Research on populism is mainly limited to political party analysis whereas this paper draws upon the research of charismatic leadership and elites. Finally, it suggests hermeneutical approaches for a populism research agenda.