The Populist Temptation

Populists are dividers. They campaign on the basis of representing the pure mass of people over a reviled elite. For left-wing populists (such as those who have sometimes prevailed in Latin America), the elite are affluent landowners. For right-wing populists (the kind who have emerged in recent decades), the elite are intellectuals, immigrants, and internationalists.

Barry Eichengreen's book provides a historical and economic analysis of populism. Eichengreen traces the rise of populist movements from the 19th century to the present, identifying economic insecurity, inequality, and globalization as key drivers. He discusses how populist leaders exploit economic grievances and mistrust of… show more.

The rise of nationalistic populism and the backlash against globalization have been of particular concern to me in recent years.

This new populism has stimulated a lot of research and many books. For me, however, Eichengreen’s book stands out in three ways.

First, it builds on valuable lessons from history; second, it skillfully and in a highly readable way summarizes what current research is saying; and third, it offers constructive policy recommendations to contain populism.

In particular, Eichengreen advocates economic and political reforms to address the concerns of the disaffected.

As a European studies scholar, I particularly recommend reading his… show more.