‘We the People’ or ‘We the Peoples’? A Comparison of Left- and Right-Wing Populists

Using unique Dutch survey data (N=1000), we seek to measure and operationalize populism directly rather than measure populism by proxy measures such as levels of trust and satisfaction or by focusing merely on its attached ideology, i.e., immigration. Using this measure, we examine populist attitudes of voters for left and right populist parties and questions whether they exhibit common populist attitudes. Building on earlier studies of populism, we examine to what extent such an indicator is associated with mistrust and lack of satisfaction (both are often used as proxy measures of populism). In addition, we examine whether there are differences between supporters of left- and right-wing populism as it relates to attaching attitudes. Our findings indeed confirm that our populism indicator is the common denominator that unites both left and right wing populism, while those who support populist parties differ regarding other attitudes, i.e. regarding immigration, the economy, and trust.