Populist Answer to the Democratic Deficit

Abstract

The present populism research follows two major lines of inquiry: one is top down, the other bottom up. The first one focuses on distilled abstract traits of the phenomenon with an emphasis on common features. The second one concentrates on distinct features of populisms country wise in historical perspective. The first one maintains an undisguised liberal ideological bias and neglects populism as an (il)legitimate offspring of liberal democracy. The author argues that the second approach yields a deeper insight into the nature of contemporary populism as a by-product of the breakdown of traditional party politics.