populisms

Noun

populism (countable and uncountable, plural populisms)

1. A political doctrine or philosophy that proposes that the rights and powers of ordinary people are exploited by a privileged elite, and supports their struggle to overcome this.
   • In the early 21st century, the tide of populism in Western countries has been primarily driven by demographic shifts, deindustrialization, inflation, a hostile cultural climate, and a collapse in social cohesion.2025 May 2, Endeavour, “Against Slopulism”, in Counter-Currents, archived from the original on 21 Jun 2025
2. (derogatory) The practice of appealing to the interests of the common people.
   • It is not crass populism or majoritanianism that ratifies the legitimacy of the polity or the administration.2006, Prasanta Chakravarty, Like Parchment in the Fire, page 104