Populism and the Erosion of Democracy

What is populism and how much of a threat is it to democracy? The recent rise of authoritarian-populism, across both long-established and developing democracies, has posed new challenges for good governance.

This course explores the conditions for the rise of populism, evaluates how much of a threat it poses for democracy, and examines the different forms it takes.

Topics include the role of economic grievances, immigration trends, civic culture, electoral rules, and party competition.

We examine these topics through a range of comparative country cases including the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Hungary, Turkey, the Philippines, and India.