Trump, Sanders, and the Essential Contest Over “Populism”

Twenty-first century politics has been marked by breaks with tradition across large areas of the world. Allegiances have broken down, and surprising results have occurred: the Brexit vote; the rise of movements of the left in Greece and the right in France, Austria, and Germany; and the success or near-success of outsider candidates. Much of this has been labeled ‘populist'. But, by itself, this explains little. The term is complex, contested, and possibly confused. This dissertation sets out why this is so, clarifies some of the competing elements within the various conceptions, and explores some of the reasons that may underlie dispute. It applies these ideas to reports and assessments of the electoral campaigns waged by Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders for the US presidency, concluding on the utility of different conceptualisations of ‘populism'.