Thread Of What Is Populism & (Why) Is It Bad?

but yes, that's a best case scenario, and in all likelihood i'm saddled with a government who thinks a light rail line between two points is the solution to most problems, the rail company lobbyist is one candidate's former employee, capital for the rail lines is a line-item on the state budget whether they're even a good solution anymore, etc

It's a pejorative term. I can't think of any politician describing themselves as a populist

If you don't like a successful politician then they're a populist. If you do like them then they're listening to people's concerns and fighting for what's really important

in the same sense that "liberal" is a pejorative term i suppose

think beppe grillo once referred to himself as a populist, cuz italian politicians love to troll like no other

but it's a term that's also seen some kind of rehabilitation in some of the left-wing movements that are interested in a more flattened if not exactly direct democracy and links to grass roots activism etc, e.g. podemos, syriza, maybe even momentum i dunno