The People and Populism

Abstract

What is populism? In response to this question the best political theories and philosophies have put forward many different answers that are taken into account in this paper. It affirms the constitutive ambiguity of the concept of ‘populism’ and its ability to unify different issues. After analysing some of the implications that populism entails in practice (in particular the political use of fear and the emphasis on the role of the citizens’ anxieties because of migratory flows, the spiral of fear and insecurity triggered by terrorism, and the role of religions as symbolic repertoires), the paper stresses the link between populism and the end of the logic of the principle of representation, specific of the liberal and democratic theories. The emphasis on the role of the ‘people’ in opposition to political elites is also a feature of populism and is analysed here. In conclusion, it focuses on the legal field: some of the contemporary constitutional theories, in particular the so-called ‘popular constitutionalism’, are discussed. These theories, while polemicizing with those authors who overestimate the role of the Supreme Court, reassess the function of the average citizen in the life of constitutional culture, with the intent of favoring greater political participation, and strengthening democratic life.