SOC-234 Populism

Over the past two decades, populist parties and movements have gained significant ground in many parts of the world. Populist forces span the entire political spectrum, from the far left to the center to the far right and they can have a significant impact on political culture and institutions in not only struggling democracies but also established ones. In this course, we will try to make sense of this variation by exploring the meanings, causes, and consequences of populism from a comparative perspective. We will look at the ways in which researchers have measured populism in political messages and mass attitudes. Students will also have a chance to carry out content analyses of campaign speeches from the U.S. presidential elections.

Maximum Enrollment

Standard Course (40)

Credits

1

Prerequisite

SOC-101 or SOC-110