Populism as a Political Style

Extract

[...] It was during his administration's tax cuts for big businesses and the wealthy that Trump was accused of putting the interests of the economic elite above those of the working class. In addition, a major reason that sparked criticisms was his bold and uncompromising statements on issues such as immigration and race relations. Critics were of the opinion that, in many instances, the nationalist sentiment that he was appealing to was biased and created social tensions that undermined the building of a society that is inclusive and cohesive. Trump's victorious run can be regarded as a manifestation of Moffitt's theory of populism, which is presented as a political instrumentalism pattern. [...]

[...] Flanagan. "Value change in industrial societies." American Political Science Review 81.4 (1987): 1289-1319. Moffitt, Benjamin. Understanding Contemporary Populism: Populism as a Political style. Stanford University Press 28-50 Moffitt, Benjamin. The global rise of populism: Performance, political style, and representation. Introduction: The Global Rise of Populism. Stanford University Press 1-10. [...]

[...] Under these circumstances, he presented himself as a leader of the "common people" instead of the establishment. His communication methods and undivided attention to particular groups of the society are in part based on Moffitt the comprehended populism as a political style. Conversely, Biden prefers more centrist and traditional approaches that base coalition-building on institutional norms instead of populist voices. While both could borrow some aspects of the populist political rhetoric, Trump is certainly the one who better fits the notion of populism set by Moffitt. In the contrary, Biden moves apart with this notion to a great extent. Works Cited Inglehart, Ronald F., and Pippa Norris. "Trump, Brexit, and the rise of populism: Economic have-nots and cultural backlash." (2016). Inglehart, Ronald, and Scott C. [...]

[...] Defining populism as the rise of movements that exploit crises, Moffitt explores the situations in which populism is most effective. If the problem is not solved, everyone holds each other responsible. Populists tell the elite that they are the cause of the problems and that they would fix things if they were in charge. Overall, Moffitt's definition of populism narrows down to a simple idea: it's a populist method for politicians to mobilize their supporters by presenting themselves as being on the side of the average people. [...]

[...] People experience a sense of being neglected by big mega-institutional and leaders in society. They have a feeling that their voices aren't being considered. Therefore, they move to the figureheads of populism who listen to them. Moffit discusses how populists use the media to transmit their views in his work. They know how to get people to listen to them and pay attention to them. This response from the community thus brings them more prospective followers who share their point of view. [...]