Populism and the Crisis of Democracy

"The debates on populism may have reached a certain state of consolidation, but the search for a conceptual framework and the definition of its key elements is still going on. The book offers a wide variety of positions including the proposal to avoid the term altogether. It is an important contribution laying ground for further research. Populism is no longer seen as a transitional phenomenon, it is here to stay, and its meaning is inextricably linked to the meaning of democracy itself. Rich in theoretical and empirical information, the volume provides a comprehensive view of the state of the art and offers important considerations on how to deal with populist phenomena." Karin Priester, Professor of Sociology and Political Theory, University of Mnster "Populism and the Crisis of Democracy is a vital and sadly very necessary project for our troubled times after Brexit, the election of Trump, the rise of right wing authoritarian parties and regimes across Europe, as well as the success of the Five Star Movement and the Northern League in Italy. Questioning traditional concepts and theories of populism that too easily talk of a populism of the right and left, as if the middle-ground of liberal democracy has held firm, this important collection helps to shape new political imaginations. In the face of growing racism, anti-immigrant xenophobia and a politics of hate, the project helps to engage new globalised control technologies as we frame new forms of democratic resistance." Victor Seidler, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Goldsmiths University of London "This stimulating volume goes beyond theoretical self-absorption, sociological platitudes, the rounding up of the usual historical suspects, and journalistic exaggeration to provide conceptually sophisticated, context-sensitive, conjuncturally relevant, and profoundly nuanced analyses of the varieties and variegation of populism. Drawing on different theoretical paradigms and research methods, the contributors offer new and accessible insights into the complexities of populism, its recent resurgence, and its wider significance. In the face of populist disdain for intellectuals, this volume shows that serious scholarship can offer critical perspectives that clarify present discontents and future possibilities." Bob Jessop, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Lancaster University

Gregor Fitzi is co-director of the Centre for Citizenship, Social Pluralism and Religious Diversity at University of Potsdam, Germany. After his PhD in Sociology at the University of Bielefeld, he was assistant professor at the Institute of Sociology, University of Heidelberg, Germany, and held a temporary position as full professor at the University of Bielefeld. His most recent publication is The Challenge of Modernity: Georg Simmels Sociological Theory (Routledge, 2018). Jrgen Mackert is Professor of Sociology and co-director of the Centre for Citizenship, Social Pluralism and Religious Pluralism at Potsdam University, Germany. His research interests are in sociology of citizenship, political economy, closure theory, collective violence. His most recent publication is The Transformation of Citizenship (Routledge, 2017), in three volumes, co-edited with Bryan S. Turner. Bryan S. Turner is Professor of the Sociology of Religion at the Australian Catholic University, Honorary Professor at Potsdam University and Honorary Fellow in The Edward Cadbury Centre, Birmingham University. In 2015 he received the Max Planck Award from the Max-Planck Society and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany. He is editor of Citizenship Studies, the Journal of Classical Sociology, and the Journal of Religious and Political Practice. He is also Chief Editor of the Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory (2017).

Introduction: Is There Such a Thing as Populism? Part I: Conceptual Debate 1. Populism as a Conceptual Problem 2. Why Populism? 3. Populism: An Ideal-Typical Assessment 4. How to Define Populism? Reflections on A Contested Concept and Its (Mis)Use in the Social Sciences 5. Populism and Unpolitics Part II: Theoretical Approaches 6. We the People: Liberal and Organic Populism, and the Politics of Social Closure 7. Past Is Prologue: Electoral Events of Spring 2012 and the Old New Nationalism in Post-Security Europe 8. The Coterminous Rise of Right-Wing Populism and Superfluous Populations 9. Toward A Strategy for Integrating the Study of Social Movement and Populist Party Mobilisation