Populism Redux: How Manichaeism Drives Anti-Liberalism and Democratic Backsliding 

Conventional wisdom about the negative influence of populism on democracy focuses on its three core components, which each play a role in anti-liberal justifications: people-centrism, anti-elitism, and the Manichaen worldview. However, it stands to reason that Manichaeism — dividing society into good and evil — is most closely linked to polarisation, conspiracy theories, the delegitimisation of political opponents, and, increasingly, the justification of violence against the perceived ‘Other’. This paper thus focuses on the rhetorical evolution of Manichaeism, examining speeches by populist leaders in Europe, North America, and Latin America since 1990. Using Large Language Models to identify and classify Manichaen rhetoric, this paper shows that the Manichaen worldview has (a) become more salient and (b) more divisive and violent over time. Thus, this paper contributes to the ongoing discussion of how political elites justify democratic backsliding and political violence, highlighting the close connection between the Manichaen aspect of populism and fascism.