The Inter- and Transnational Politics of Populism: Foreign Policy, Identity and Popular Sovereignty

Populism has become a widely used term in academic and public discourses, but this book challenges the hyperbolic and sweeping usage of the term as a general descriptor for non-centrist politics. It proposes a theoretical framework that bridges the gap between theories of populism and IR, and empirically examines right-wing and left-wing populist discourses, cross-border collaboration, and identity construction in different world regions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 02 January 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

Populism has surged to prominence, becoming a widely employed term in academic and public discourse, often used to describe non-centrist politics across various persuasions. This book, situated at the intersection of International Relations (IR), Political Theory, and Comparative Politics, critically intervenes in the growing IR scholarship on populism, challenging the widespread hyperbolic and sweeping application of the term as a blanket descriptor for such politics. The book aims to shift the theoretical trajectory and broaden the empirical scope of existing IR research. Theoretically, it bridges the gap between populism theories and IR by integrating the Laclauian discursive approach with IR poststructuralism within a theoretical framework. This framework departs from the traditional focus on populism's policy preferences and impact, instead conceptualizing foreign policy and world politics as potential sites for the practice of populism, encompassing a range of activities from articulating societal grievances to constructing populist identities, such as "the people." Empirically, the book extends IR scholarship beyond the predominant focus on the populist radical right and single-country and -region studies. Drawing on discourse analysis of an original data set, it conducts a comparative analysis of right-wing and left-wing populist discourses across different world regions, as well as exploring populist cross-border collaboration and identity construction. By undertaking this comprehensive exploration, the book contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics and implications of populism in global politics.

Weight: 596g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031168475
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023