Lurking Populism

Populism is as old as democratic politics. But what is it about democratic ideals that promotes it? The success of populist parties and politicians in recent years has made the question what gives rise to populist sentiments increasingly relevant. Populism, clearly, is a lurking, even when it remains hidden. We explore data relevant to three interpretations of populism. In first place, attitudes towards representative democracy have, since Rousseau, given rise to suspicions that democracy is more elitist that representative, and hence a false reflector of the popular will. Second, populism may indicate political alienation, replacing religion as (in Marx’s words) “the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions”. Finally, populism may simply be the uncivil incarnation of non-civic attitudes and lack of social capital, akin to other anti-social or anti-system behavior. We test hypotheses on the basis of data obtained in Iceland, one of the few European countries which has not, so far, produced an outright populist party.