Modern Populism- a Danger to Democracy?

(Estimated reading time: 6 minutes)

Donald Trump of the US, Rodrigo Roa Duterte of the Philippines, and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil- what do the three have in common? They are all called populists. What is populism anyway? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Why do many modern leaders are resorting to populism? And most importantly, does it endanger the democracy by which many governments are firmly established?

Let us cite some examples to see what modern populism means in our world today. US President Trump waged war against the mainstream media and called them "the enemy of the people." He discredited them and pitted them against the public, charging them with spreading lies and "fake news," thus his term for them is "fake news media." In his attempt to reverse the result of the recent election, his words sway and allowed a group of supporters to storm the Capitol, the seat of the US congress where the elected president, Joe Biden, will be declared the winner of the election. He claims that the election process is rigged and the US electoral college is corrupt. Philippine President Duterte issued a pronouncement against a local TV network, namely ABS-CBN. He said that he is against renewing their congressional franchise, which is required by private companies to operate in the country, as part of his crusade against the so-called "oligarchs" in the Philippines. He is also known for uttering profanities on live TV, discrediting many of his political enemies, and at times threatening those who would go against the government with death. He is best known for his "war on drugs" resulting in many deaths which his critics claim as extra-judicial killings. Despite the seeming economic and societal ruin that Brazil is heading, especially in the way he handles the county's plight during the pandemic, President Bolsonaro's fame is mostly undisputed. During his presidency, the Amazon rainforest received its largest destruction in the smallest amount of time. He is often giving homophobic and misogynist comments trying to pass laws that encourage impunity and state force abuses, and programs that ruin the environment and endanger indigenous people. All three have the same campaign promise which has launched them to victory- to end the corruption they say is deeply rooted in the government. Interestingly, all three share the same ideology- far-rightist and conservative. But as had been said in the beginning, the most usual similarity among them is their being populists.

By definition, populism means "a political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups." (Source: Google Search, Oxford Languages) Conservative or liberal, right-wing or left-wing, anyone on different political spectrums and ideologies can be populist, though some of the most successful ones belong to the far-right such as the three leaders mentioned above. The root word of the term comes from the Latin populus which means "the people." One of their claims is that there is nothing more important than the will of the people and that established institutions are a hindrance to achieving them. Modern populists are against any establishments- that is, any representation or mediating body between the people and their leader or government. They vow to fight against established powerful institutions- authoritarians, monopolists, or the elite and wealthy upper class. One of their strategies is to persuade the people, use or manipulate their emotions to pit them against their "common enemy." Most modern populist leaders have almost the same traits, and one of them is being charismatic. They are often excellent at rhetoric and polemics. Resorting to perpetuating a discourse of a permanent state of crisis in their countries, they claim that they will change the corrupt system that torments the people. Thus, they are often on the offensive and many modern populist leaders are also termed "strongmen." Such claims that they speak for the people, that they are themselves are not and never will be the establishment, is a powerful force to influence the common persons to make a stand in opposition to any perceived elitism that they think is stopping them from reaching their political and ideological agendas. They pose themselves as not being part of any existing order and can initiate change which makes them very appealing to their supporters. They make the general public feel that the will of any representation from any elite institution runs opposite to the will of the common people. They make people feel that they are being betrayed by what they describe as a self-serving and traitorous ruling minority.

Why are modern populists on the rise? Primarily because liberal democracy on which many countries depend for stability is often not enough to answer the problems in our modern society. Although liberal democracy seeks compromises to address the need for the common good among different groups, the clear-cut division gives rise to many conflicting agendas. Liberal democracy is not a panacea to every societal ill. We can see that most democratic countries adopt reforms that only widen the wealth gap between the rich and the poor. It also fails to address rampant corruption in the system that betrays the trust of the public. Many minorities in different countries are underrepresented and are further marginalized. These "depreciated and unheard people", then seek a new breed of leader that they believe will put their needs first and who will challenge the corrupt and deceitful institutions. Modern populists use these sentiments to persuade the people that they will be the ones to end their suffering and justifies their often radical initiatives.

Nevertheless, liberal democracy is a foundation of stability for many nations. It respects the rule of law by adhering to the principles of the constitution those nations adopted and laws that embody those principles, thus protecting them from disorder and lawlessness. Democratic countries promote tolerance among diverse ideologies that exist within the society. Consensus is valued, and social and political rights are prioritized to enable a functional society that provides the common good. The problem that arises in modern-day populism is that they can resort to radical actions that not only vilify their perceived opponents but damage the democratic processes which are the grounds of a functional society and will result instead in harming the public that they swore to protect. Instead of adhering to bureaucratic processes, they are in favor of resorting to shortcuts and railroading that threatens democratic norms (e.g. referendums). They often fail to deliver the grandiose promises they made that catapulted them to power. Most modern populists can also be exclusivist, labeling anyone who goes against their whims as the enemy of ordinary citizens. Minorities (e.g. immigrants, indigenous people) are often neglected under their rule, as they are often perceived as not part of "the people" that modern populists claim they represent. Most of them gain close control of state forces, and as they do, their leadership style can come close to authoritarian rule, opening avenues for abuses and impunity. Like the examples mentioned above, populist leaders can oppose courts, demonize independent press, and even question the efficacy of the constitution of their country. And as they fail to deliver their exorbitant promises, they put the blame on the institutions to direct the attention of the public away from their apparent failures.

Until we find the solutions to the problems of democracy, we should respect the existing system by which we establish a righteous and just society. Modern populism does more harm than good when it comes to leadership and servitude. And in times of crisis like this time of the modern pandemic, it is not hard to see how inefficient a modern populist leader can be. It is enough to say that populists can betray "the people" that they swear to protect and serve.

Recommended reading:

Populism: A Very Short Introduction, by Cas Mudde and Cristobal Rovira Kaltwasser, Oxford Press

Modern Populism- a Danger to Democracy? by Leandro Angelo Castro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.