Populism in the Civil Sphere

Jeffrey C. Alexander is Lillian Chavenson Saden Professor of Sociology at Yale University.Peter Kivisto is Richard Swanson Professor of Social Thought and Chair of Sociology at Augustana College.Giuseppe Sciortino is Professor of Sociology and Social Research at the University of Trento.

"Jeffrey Alexander and his collaborators have brought sociological insights drawn from political and social theory to bear on the study of populism. Alexander’s bold new approach based on civil society theory addresses populism’s central conundrum. How can populism manifest itself as both a left and right political phenomenon and how do we distinguish one form from the other? Populism and the Civil Sphere argues that a vibrant democracy depends on social solidarities that develop within a bounded public space of civic discourse. Within the civil sphere, politics can veer to the left or right—the radical to the conservative—without seriously threatening democracy. It is only when the center does not hold then extremism on left and right becomes a possibility. The seventeen exciting and theoretically linked case studies in this cogent and coherent anthology span the globe as they explore left and right variants of populism. This innovative collection is a must read for anyone inside and outside of the academy who seeks to understand the major political challenge of our time."—Mabel Berezin, Professor of Sociology, Cornell"The vexed question of the relationship between populism and democracy here receives fresh, subtle, and compelling analysis. The contributors' thorough examination of cases in light of civil sphere theory tells a new and nuanced story: despite the threats to democracy it can unleash, populism can sometimes even contribute to the vital democratic task of civil repair."—John S. Dryzek, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, University of Canberra"... an essential reference point for future studies of populism."European Journal of Social Theory

• List of ContributorsList of FiguresList of TablesPreface and AcknowledgementsIntroduction The Populist Continuum from within the Civil Sphere to Outside ItJeffrey C. Alexander Chapter 1Populism’s Cultural and Civil DynamicsMarcus MorganChapter 2#Disente and Duterte: The Cultural Bases of Antipopulism in the Philippines, 2001-2019Celso M. VillegasChapter 3Uncivil Populism in Power: The Case of ErdoğanismAteş AltınorduChapter 4The Populist Transition and the Civil Sphere in MexicoNelson Arteaga BotelloChapter 5Far-Right Populism in Poland and the Construction of a Pseudocivil SphereMaría Luengo and Małgorzata KolankowskaChapter 6The “Thirteenth Immigrant”? Migration and Populism in the 2018 Czech Presidential ElectionBernadette Nadya JaworskyChapter 7Memory Culture, Civil Sphere and Right-Wing Populism in Germany – The Resistible Rise of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD)Werner BinderChapter 8Populism and the Particularization of Solidarity: On the Sweden DemocratsHenrik EnrothChapter 9Left-Populism in a Communist Civil Sphere: The Lesson of Bo Xilai Andrew JunkerChapter 10A Civil Sphere Theory of Populism: American Forms and Templates, from the Red Scare to Donald Trump Jason L MastCommentaryDemarcating Constructive from Destructive Populisms: Civil Translation vs. Civil MimicryCarlo TognatoConclusionIs Populism the Shadow of the Civil?Peter Kivisto and Giuseppe SciortinoIndex