A Definition of Populism
Definition: Populism
Domain: Politics
Context: Political philosophies, class warfare
'Populism' is a political ideology, the central tenet of which is the conviction that governments ought to concern themselves with providing the conditions for the greatest good for the greatest number. To that end, they have supported equitable distributions of wealth and power. For this reason, populists typically are opposed to both oligarchy, or government by the few, and plutocracy, or government by the wealthy.
Organized American populism began with a political party formed in 1891, which was subsequently active in the election of 1892. It arose among farmers exploited by creditors. These agrarian (that is, farm-based) populists opposed deflationary monetary policies that favored creditors, and advocated control of monopolies.
Populists may be found among liberals and conservatives alike. Patrick Buchanan, for example, is a conservative populist, while Jim Hightower is a liberal populist. Generally, conservative populists are more concerned about the size and power of governments, while liberal populists tend to be more concerned about the size and power of big business; but at the base of both perspectives is a strikingly similar concern with large, unaccountable, bureaucratic, and unaccountable institutions.
Both would agree with Lord Acton's celebrated observation: "The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to to govern. Every class is unfit to govern . . . Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
In American mass media, populists of every stripe are routinely subjected to subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) ridicule. This is hardly surprising, given the ownership of the media by an economic elite, which undoubtedly believes its own narrow interests would be at risk in any populist administration.
Related Content
To see where populists fall on the political spectrum, click here. For a history of American populism and progressivism consult: Rendezvous With Destiny, by Eric F. Goldman And for the whole of American history in a progressive/populist perspective, see: A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn.
See also: progressivism, which is essentially synonymous with liberal populism, class warfare, and democracy.
