“Democracies may die at the hands not of generals but of elected leaders.”
Populism is one of the most significant political stances in the modern world. Whilst the term ‘populism’ is a fluid label, most sociologists and commentators associate the ideology with the concept of ‘the people’ being juxtaposed with the ‘elite’. Populists typically present the elite as the political, cultural and media establishments that only serve their interests and the interests of other groups such as corporations, migrants, and foreign powers, rather than the people. populism has also become a term used to describe influential figures who present simple and emotive explanations for complex issues, a phenomenon which many countries around the globe find themselves grappling with today. Join us at What We Reading as we run through the best books on populism. From explaining what it is and how it is used to its effects on the world today, these populism books are all informative and thought-provoking!
National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy – Roger Eatwell And Matthew Goodwin
Across the Western world, a growing number of people feel marginalised, alienated and disillusioned by mainstream politics. As a result, they have become increasingly resentful and hostile towards minorities, immigrants and neo-liberal economics. From Hungary to the United States, these voters are forming the bedrock for populist movements that are threatening to change the face of Western liberal democracy.
Written by two of the most renowned experts on fascism and national populism, National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy is one of the best guides to understanding how our political landscape has been transformed by these movements. Unlike other books about populism, authors Roger Eatwell and Matthew Goodwin make a compelling case for respectful engagement with supporters of national populism, correctly pointing out that it’s a political wave that isn’t going to be stemming anytime soon.
How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future – Steven Levitsky And Daniel Ziblatt
The rise of Donald Trump led to millions of Americans suddenly questioning the nature of and potential risks to their democracy for the first time. In How Democracies Die, Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt reflect on twenty years’ worth of study and make the case that, in the modern age, democracies no longer go out with a revolutionary boom, but rather a whimper.
From Europe in the 1930s, and the American South during Jim Crow to the likes of Turkey and Venezuela in the present day, How Democracies Die is a combination of insights, research and a wide array of historical and global examples. Levitsky and Ziblatt successfully show the role populism has in eroding democracies and, crucially, how they can be saved.
What Is Populism? – Jan-Werner Muller
From Trump to Hugo Chavez to Marine Le Pen, populists are on the rise across the world. But, unlike other political ideologies, populism is a much harder concept to define and attach. So, if you’re looking for a book about populism that answers some of the most commonly asked questions about it, Jan-Werner Muller’s What Is Populism? is a must-read!
Should anyone who criticises Wall Street or Washington be called a populist? Does populism bring people closer to the government, or threaten democracy as we know it? How can you tell the difference between right-wing and left-wing populism? A groundbreaking reassessment of what populism means in the modern day, Muller provides an analytical and provocative commentary of what has caused populism’s rise in popularity, how they can be countered by liberals, and what may be on the horizon if they aren’t.
The People, No: A Brief History Of Anti-Populism – Thomas Frank
In The People, No, Thomas Frank attempts to demonstrate how everything we know about populism is wrong. Rather than associating it with the frightening rise of Donald Trump and racist European extremists, the real story of populism is one of enlightenment and liberation.
Taking readers on a journey through the history of populism from the 1890s and the struggle of the Populist Party against Gilded Age plutocrats to the reforms made during the New Deal under Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman, Frank’s work is one of the best books on populism for reminding us how much the movement has achieved. Pummelling elitists, revisiting provocative politics and bringing a message that true populism is an ideology of hope, promise and optimism, The People, No is an affirming and impassioned call that populism may be the solution we need, rather than the problem of our times.
Empire Of Resentment: Populism’s Toxic Embrace Of Nationalism – Lawrence Rosenthal
Lawrence Rosenthal is the founder of UC Berkeley’s Center for Right-Wing Studies. In his 2020 book about populism, Empire of Resentment, he attempts to explain how right-wing populism is rooted in resentment towards cultural elites, and how it has embraced an ultra-nationalistic platform.
From how Donald Trump’s election in 2016 was able to win the hearts of Tea Party supporters to Italy’s Northern League reinventing itself as an all-Italy party (swapping out its hatred for southerners to immigrants) to win power, Empire of Resentment is a sweeping sociological, psychological and political book about populism. Rosenthal makes a compelling argument about how we have found ourselves with a de facto Nationalist International, and how the future of democratic politics hinges on the left finding a progressive agenda of their own.
Suicide Of The West: How The Rebirth Of Tribalism, Populism, Nationalism And Identity Politics Is Destroying American Democracy – Jonah Goldberg
Not only one of the best books on populism but also one of the most compelling works for understanding American politics today, bestselling author Jonah Goldberg blends historical insights, social commentary and pop culture in Suicide of the West.
Across the book, Goldberg attempts to explain how democratic virtues have been turned into vices across America. Taking equal aim at both the left and right, he exposes how authoritarianism, tribalism, identity politics, nationalism and cults of personality are slowly eroding democracies not just in the US but the wider world. To prevent the collapse of the West, he argues that we must rekindle our sense of gratitude for what the past has given us, and rediscover the ideals that led to progress in the first place.
Populism – Benjamin Moffitt
Rounding off our list of the best populism books is another key resource for understanding the ins and outs of the ideology, Populism by Benjamin Moffitt. In this snappy and engaging book, leading expert Moffitt cuts through the confusion surrounding the movement and its presence in the contemporary world. He offers an accessible introduction to it in political theory, maps different schools of thought attached to it and explores how it relates to some of the most important concepts at the heart of political discourse today.
From students to scholars, this is one of the most essential books for understanding populism and making sense of how it has wound up being one of the most controversial issues in the modern political landscape.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
