Populism in American Politics

Abstract

Populism undoubtedly has a long history in the politics of the US, and there is no doubt that populism has significantly affected American politics in a variety of ways. However, what exactly is meant by "populism" is frequently ambiguous and ill-defined. Political commentators routinely label individuals or ideas as populist, without even attempting to explain how and why the person or idea in question relates to populism. Scholars are not immune to acting in a similar fashion. Populism's presence is more often asserted than demonstrated in any convincing way. Here I engage in a thorough examination of the substance of populism in American politics. All elements of American populism -its championing of the common people, it rural roots, its anti-elitism, anti-intellectualism, and anti-government views, and its religious and cultural dimensions -will be explored. The paper closes with an attempt to suss out the place of populism in contemporary American politics.

Anti-Intellectualism, Populism, and Motivated Resistance to Expert Consensus

“…Or, they might not see the value of education and critical thought, particularly if they see it as coming at the expense of practical knowledge and common sense (Rigney 1991). Or, they may be skeptical of acquired knowledge because they see it as a tool of an exploitative societal elite (Brewer 2016) -a point which will be returned to below. Whatever the source, the result is a generalized mistrust of intellectuals and expert authority.…”

“…Rigney (1991) identifies three distinct components to anti-intellectualism: 1) Anti-rationalism, or the dismissal of critical thinking as a desirable trait; 2) Unreflexive instrumentalism, or the devaluing of long term payoffs for short term material gain; and 3) anti-elitism, or the disparagement of intellectuals and experts. Some have viewed anti-intellectualism as a rhetorical style that emphasizes plain-spokenness (Lim 2010;Shogun 2007), while others see it as an important component of populist rhetoric (Brewer 2016;Harris 2010;Kazin 1995).…”

Anti-Intellectualism and the Mass Public’s Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…20 More recently, scholarship on anti-intellectualism has deviated somewhat from Hofstadter's conceptualization. Some have identified anti-intellectualism as plain-spokenness 23,24 or a component of populist rhetoric, 21,25 rather than as a predisposition. Scholars have also increasingly seen antiintellectualism as a component of conservative ideology 4 -rather than populism -in part due to conservative rejection of the theory of evolution and embrace of climate skepticism.…”

Trump Knows Best: Donald Trump’s Rejection of Expertise and the 2020 Presidential Election

“…The appeal to some voters of Trump’s rejection of expertise is rooted in the appeal of populism to some segments of the American electorate. American populism has always featured a strong strain of anti-elitism and anti-intellectualism (Brewer 2016 ; Conley 2020 ; Hofstadter 1962 , 1966 ; Lacatus 2019 ; Rowland 2019 ). Trump embraces both of these.…”