From Populism to People

Populism, a significant phenomenon in today’s liberal democracies, deserves in-depth analysis, and here is the most comprehensive book on populism recently, covering the Politics of Populism as well as the Economics of Populism and What to Do About It.  So far, the discussion has suffered from the fact that social scientists critical of capitalism have used populism as a new opportunity to rail against the market economy or that populism has been seen as an understandable “cultural backlash” against the excesses of green and left-wing activists.  Neither approach points to a realistic solution.  Heiko J. Starossom’s analysis, presented in his book, boldly departs from the traditional approach, offering a fresh and enlightening perspective.  He examines populism from an interdisciplinary point of view, not just focusing on the economy but also including cultural and psychological aspects, leaving the ideological left-right scheme behind.  One way to address a problem is to eliminate its causes.  In the “Politics of Populism,” he identifies three leading political causes: “cartel parties” or the convergence of the major political parties, the latent authoritarian tendency of a significant proportion of the population, and the loss of established status–a concept that refers to the erosion of traditional social hierarchies and norms.  In the context of the “Economics of Populism,” possible economic triggers of populism are unemployment and pressure on wages due to globalization or technological progress and economic inequality.  Unfortunately, there may be no easy solution to the principal political and economic drivers of populism.  The answer, thus, lies in a revitalized philosophy that champions the meaning in life and places the community at its center.  Strengthening human relationships in family and community is perhaps the most critical source of meaning in life and could be a promising solution worth trying.