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.