Populism

The Life and Death of Democracy by John Keane, Why we Hate Politics by Colin Hay, Post-Democracy by Colin Crouch, Can Democracy be Saved? by Donatella della Porta, Ruling the Void by Peter Mair, Defending Politics by Matthew Flinders

those who want to occupy national office need to look like and sound like a representative of the people

Positioning oneself as someone seeking to unify the people rather than divide them, as seeking to rise above ideology, party politics and the usual paraphernalia of democratic politics, has proved a useful strategy for building a popular base.

Honesty and integrity decline as virtues we want in our leaders, in favour of effectiveness, impact and charisma.

Populism is a strategy for winning and holding power, not a prescription or guide to what happens with power.

Populism is long on promise and short on detail. It offers a rosy future without telling us how it will be achieved, or what resources it will need.

Populism is a redemptive style of politics.

democracy is about the management of differences among people

Populism is a product of crisis, but it also needs crisis to maintain its momentum, efficacy and appeal

Populism doesn’t lack conceptual clarity because it is essentially contested in the way terms such as liberty and equality are.