Populism

Populism is the first introduction to the theme of populism. It will introduce the principal theories, definitions, models and contemporary debates. A number of global case studies (Russian populism, Latin American populism and Italian populism) will be used to illustrate the concept. Populism: An Introduction will reflect on the sociology of democratic processes and investigate the evolution of political consensus in contemporary political systems.

Introduction. The Populist Option. 1. Preliminary Elements of the Concept of Populism. Part One: Theorist 2. Gino Germani: National-populism and Modernization 3. Edward Shils: Public Sphere and Populism in the USA. 4. Ghi a Ionescu and Ernest Gellner; the Foundation of Studies on Populism 5. Margaret Canovan and the Shadow of Democracy. 6. Laclau: The Construction of the Political 7. Mény and Surel: Sovereignty, Constitution and the People. 8. The Recent Debate Part Two: Major Cases 9. Russian Populism 10. Perón and Peronism 11. Left-Turn and neo- populisms in Latin America 12. Italian Neo-populism Part Three: Other Typologies and Other Problems 13. Penal Populism 14. Cultural Populism 15. Mediapopulism 16. Constitutional Populism 17. How to Study Populism: Analytical Prospects for Social Researchs 18. Concluding remarks. Democracy and Populism: Which Perspectives?