populism

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Italic *poplos Old Latin populus Latin populus Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English populism From Latin populus + English -ism.

1. A political doctrine or philosophy that proposes that the rights and powers of ordinary people are exploited by a privileged elite, and supports their struggle to overcome this.

   “In the early 21st century, the tide of populism in Western countries has been primarily driven by demographic shifts, deindustrialization, inflation, a hostile cultural climate, and a collapse in social cohesion.”

2. The practice of appealing to the interests of the common people.

   “It is not crass populism or majoritanianism that ratifies the legitimacy of the polity or the administration.”