Glossary

Populism

A political style that pits ordinary people against a supposedly corrupt or out-of-touch elite, found across the political spectrum.

Also called: right-wing populism, left-wing populism, populist

Populism is a political approach that claims to speak for "the people" against an establishment of elites, whether political, economic or cultural. Scholars describe it as a style or a "thin ideology" that attaches to different programs, so it exists on both the left and right.

In American history it appears in the 1890s People's Party, which agitated for farmers against banks and railroads, in Andrew Jackson's appeal to the common man and in the campaigns of George Wallace and Bernie Sanders. The recent conservative version, associated with Donald Trump, Pat Buchanan and the Tea Party, stresses opposition to immigration and free-trade agreements, distrust of the media, the bureaucracy and the so-called deep state, and defense of national identity.

The term is used both descriptively and as criticism. Supporters see populism as a corrective that gives voice to citizens who feel ignored. Critics argue it simplifies complex issues, fuels conspiracy theories and can threaten institutions and minority rights by claiming that only some of the people are the real people. Conservatives are divided: some regard populism as a vital energy, others as a threat to constitutional principles. It overlaps with national conservatism and paleoconservatism.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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Related terms

National conservatism A current of the right prioritizing the nation-state, cultural cohesion, economic nationalism and government support for family and community. Paleoconservatism A strand of the right that stresses tradition, nationalism, restricted immigration, skepticism of foreign intervention and suspicion of the federal government. Deep state A contested term for a supposed network of unelected officials in government who are said to shape or resist the policies of elected leaders. Identity politics Political activity organized around group identities such as race, gender or religion, a term used both descriptively and as criticism. Conservatism A political outlook that values tradition, ordered liberty, limited government and gradual change over radical reform.