The Rise of Populism in Modern Democracies

This chapter examines the causes of the rise of populism and its consequences for political representation in modern democracies: Why have populist parties gained ground in so many liberal democracies? And how does their emergence and continuing success affect the way political representation works in these systems? We aim to provide answers to these questions by reviewing the extensive (and growing) literature on populism. In so doing, we identify findings where there is broad consensus in the scientific debate so far, but also controversies that have not been resolved yet. We conclude with a summary of our analysis and some reflections about future research on populism.