Populism, Authoritarianism, and Group Antagonism in Comparative Perspective

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Session Description

The growing electoral success of populist parties and candidates has had a profound impact on politics at a global level in recent years. From the UK electorate’s decision to exit the EU and Donald Trump’s unexpected election to the US presidency in 2016 to more-recent victories by populists in nations as diverse as Italy and Brazil, populism has upended politics-as-usual in a variety of contexts.

Though the present wave of populist parties and candidates champion a variety of ideological agendas—some tending to the left, and others to the right—all emphasize a fundamental antagonism between a sclerotic, corrupt “elite” and a pure “people.” Despite variation, one of the most common (but not inevitable) features of today’s populist current is an underlying psychology authoritarianism: a yearning for social cohesion and the preservation of traditional identities and worldviews in the face of rapid normative and demographic change. This manifests itself politically in some of the key appeals of populist political figures and movements—in particular, nationalism laced with hostility toward immigrants, refugees, and minorities and a willingness to dispense with the norms and restraints of liberal democracy.

In this panel, we explore the nexus of populism, authoritarianism, and group antagonism with an eye to the conference theme of “populism and privilege.” To obtain a broad-spectrum look at the phenomenon, we draw on theory and tools from a variety of subfields, ranging from comparative political behavior to political psychology.

Sub Unit

• Theme Panel

Chair

• Christopher M. Federico University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

Presenters

• Matt A. Barreto University of California, Los Angeles

• Terri E. Givens Independent

• Marc J. Hetherington University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

• Pippa Norris Harvard University and University of Sydney

• Elisabeth Ivarsflaten University of Bergen