From protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square to Tea Party in United States to campaign to elect indigenous leader Evo Morales in Bolivia, modern populist movements command international attention and compel political and social change. When citizens demand to they evoke corrupt politicians, imperialists, or oligarchies that have appropriated power from its legitimate owners. These stereotypical narratives belie vague and often contradictory definitions of concept of the and many motives of those who use populism as a political tool. In The Promise and Perils of Populism, Carlos de la Torre assembles a group of international scholars to explore ambiguous meanings and profound implications of grassroots movements across globe. These trenchant essays explore how fragile political institutions allow populists to achieve power, while strong institutions confine them to margins of political systems. Their comparative case studies illuminate how Latin American, African, and Thai populists have sought to empower marginalized groups of people, while similar groups in Australia, Europe, and United States often exclude people whom they consider to possess different cultural values. While analyzing insurrections in Latin America, advocacy groups in United States, Europe, and Australia, and populist parties in Asia and Africa, contributors also pose questions and agendas for further research. This volume on contemporary populism from a comparative perspective could not be more timely, and scholars from a variety of disciplines will find it an invaluable contribution to literature.
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