From the protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square to the Tea Party in
the United States to the campaign to elect indigenous leader Evo
Morales in Bolivia, modern populist movements command international
attention and compel political and social change. When citizens
demand "power to the people," they evoke corrupt politicians,
imperialists, or oligarchies that have appropriated power from its
legitimate owners. These stereotypical narratives belie the vague
and often contradictory definitions of the concept of "the people"
and the many motives of those who use populism as a political
tool.
In The Promise and Perils of Populism, Carlos de la Torre
assembles a group of international scholars to explore the
ambiguous meanings and profound implications of grassroots
movements across the globe. These trenchant essays explore how
fragile political institutions allow populists to achieve power,
while strong institutions confine them to the margins of political
systems. Their comparative case studies illuminate how Latin
American, African, and Thai populists have sought to empower
marginalized groups of people, while similar groups in Australia,
Europe, and the United States often exclude people whom they
consider to possess different cultural values. While analyzing
insurrections in Latin America, advocacy groups in the United
States, Europe, and Australia, and populist parties in Asia and
Africa, the contributors also pose questions and agendas for
further research.
This volume on contemporary populism from a comparative
perspective could not be more timely, and scholars from a variety
of disciplines will find it an invaluable contribution to the
literature.
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