Parties, Movements, and Populism: Crises of Democratic Representation

Catalog description

Political scientists have long studied parties, social movements, and populism, but these topics have generally belonged to separate branches of the discipline, each boasting a specialized body of literature with distinct theoretical cornerstones. In the real world, however, these phenomena interact with each other in complex ways that defy their analytical compartmentalization. Over the past decade, political and economic crises in Latin America, Europe, and the United States have forced scholars to recognize these intersections, as social movements and populist leaders have challenged mainstream parties, founded new ones, and undermined traditional party systems. This course explores these intersections, recognizing that parties, populism, and social movements are all different ways-more or less institutionalized and contentious-by which societal interests get represented in the political arena. (GOVT-CP)