Transformation from Above: Globalization Report 2022

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Transformation from Above: Globalization
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We have seen a rise of populist leaders in recent times. Debate the causes and
consequences of this phenomenon.
Introduction
Populist leaders such as Donald Trump, Norbert Hoffer, Geert Wilders, and Marine Le
Pen, are becoming increasingly popular all over the world. These populist leaders have gained
extensive recognition to represent the citizens in government coalitions of eleven Western
democracies such as in Switzerland, Italy and Australia. There are many definitions seeking to
explain the concept of populism. According to Cas Mudde, populism is a philosophical thought
that is centered across authoritarianism, nativism, and anti-establishment (Mudde, 2016, p.25). It
seeks to address the virtue of wisdom and faith among the ordinary people who are commonly
referred to as the silent majority, against the elite and corrupt establishments. Populism ideas
resent the existing state of affairs and authorities whether elected politicians, multinational
corporations, media pundits, intellectual and scientific experts, and government officials. The
ordinary people are the inherent and homogenous good and the elites are viewed as dishonest.
Populism has the tendencies to evoke authoritarian leanings and support personal power that is
displayed by a charismatic and able leader that as though to represent the will of the people.
Additionally, populism ideologies tend to emphasize on xenophobic nationalism and nativism,
and that the state has the obligation to discriminate people from other states, religion, and
culture. It favors mono-culturalism over multi-culturalism, national self-interest over
international cooperation, closed borders against the free flow of people, and conservatism over
progressive and liberal mindedness (McDonnell, 2016, pp.725). US president, Donald Trump
populism rhetoric is a mixture of national isolation, misogyny and sexism, attack-dog politics,
intolerance of multi-culturalism, racial, and anti-muslimism, and strong-man leadership appeal.

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Populism is, therefore, a basic way of denoting these tendencies that may equally be categorized
as xenophobic authoritarianism.
Perhaps one of the commonest reflections of populism ideology is in the 2016
presidential election in the US. It still baffles many how a political neophyte and polarizing
figure such as Donald Trump surged to become the holder of the highest office in the US.
Donald Trump has been critically challenged by conservatism including Jeb Bush, George Will,
and Elizabeth Warren. His rhetoric signifies a xenophobic attack on minorities such as the
Mexicans and Muslims and purports a conspiracy theory about his critics. Trump populism is
based on the notion that he is not from D.C, and he is commanding an insurgency movement on
part of the ordinary American citizens, who are revolting against incompetent politicians, corrupt
institutions, and arrogant literates. Donald Trump angry outbursts and nativist comments fit the
description of populist leaders who have gained tremendous support in the western democracies.
populist parties have gained a huge support base in the last decade, gaining political seats and
holding the spectrum of power (Norris and Inglehart, 2016, pp.15). Such parties include the
Swedish Democrats, Greece Golden dawn, Australian Freedom party, and Swiss people’s Party.
Populist leaders in Latin America represent the economic part of the political institutions and
they include; Hugo Chaves, Evo Morales of Bolivia, and Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela. Populist
parties can exert significant influence through a few votes. The UK Independence Party in
Britain, for example, acquired just one seat in the general elections of 2015, but fueled populist
rhetoric of anti-immigration and anti-European, pushing the UK conservatives to call for Brexit
referendum. The consequences of Britain massive EU exit have been enormous, leading to the
resignation of prime minister Theresa May, deep financial crisis, hate speeches against