Tradition
Right-wing populism
Overview
Right-wing populism, also called right populism and national populism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics with populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti-elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establishment, and speaking to or for the common people. Recurring themes of this political ideology include neo-nationalism, social conservatism, economic nationalism, and fiscal conservatism. Frequently they aim to defend a national culture, identity, and economy against perceived attacks by outsiders.
Some right-wing populist parties and movements have associations with elements of authoritarianism, while some far-right populists draw comparisons to fascism. Right-wing populism in the Western world is sometimes associated with ideologies such as anti-environmentalism, anti-globalisation, nativism, and protectionism. In Europe, the term is often used to describe groups, politicians and political parties generally known for their opposition to immigration, and for Euroscepticism. Some right-wing populists may support expanding the welfare state, but only for those they deem fit to receive it; this concept has been referred to as "welfare chauvinism". Since the Great Recession, European right-wing populist movements began to grow in popularity, in large part due to increasing opposition to immigration from the Middle East and Africa, rising Euroscepticism and discontent with the economic policies of the European Union. Some forms of right-wing populism may also go into libertarian themes, with federalism, anti-central bank, pro-sound money and the non-aggression principle being key themes in the libertarian spectre of right-wing populism, with Ron Paul and some parts of the Tea Party movement being a notable example of this.
From the 1990s, right-wing populist parties became established in the legislatures of various democracies. Right-wing populism has remained the dominant political force in the Republican Party in the United States since the 2010s. Although extreme right-wing movements in the United States (where they are normally referred to as the "radical right") are usually characterised as separate entities, some writers consider them to be a part of a broader, right-wing populist phenomenon. Donald Trump, an American businessman and media personality, won the 2016 and 2024 United States presidential elections after running on platforms founded on right-wing populist themes, which his ideology is built upon.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
From hence arose the several orders, with or without a monarch (which are called states), in every European country; the strong traces of which, where monarchy predominated, were never wholly extinguished or merged in despotism. In the few places where monarchy was cast off, the spirit of European monarchy was still left. Those countries still continued countries of states; that is, of classes, orders, and…
Edmund Burke, Selections from the Speeches and Writings of Edmund Burke
States what Right-wing populism is.
Each side honestly believes that it deserves to triumph, because two theories of society exist side by side in our thought, and men choose, unconsciously, the theory which fits their case. Because the battle is long and arduous all general theory is gradually forgotten; in the end, nothing remains but self-assertion, and when the oppressed win freedom they are as oppressive as their former masters. This is seen most…
Bertrand Russell, Why Men Fight
States what Right-wing populism is.
The commonplaces of politics in France are large and sweeping practical maxims, from which, as ultimate premises, men reason downward to particular applications; and this they call being logical and consistent. For instance, they are perpetually arguing that such and such a measure ought to be adopted, because it is a consequence of the principle on which the form of government is founded; of the principle of…
John Stuart Mill, A System of Logic, Ratiocinative and Inductive
States what Right-wing populism is.
Philosophers who discussed Right-wing populism
Related ideas
- Euroscepticism
- Manchester University Press
- Anarcho-capitalism
- Evangelicalism
- The Independent
- Antisemitism
- Fascism
- BBC News
- Federalism
- Free market
- Agrarianism
- Athens
- Harvard University Press
- Hate speech
- Women's rights
- Laissez-faire
- Kuomintang
- Anti-intellectualism
- National identity
- The Guardian
- BBC
- United States House of Representatives
- Margaret Thatcher
- Militarism
Place in the tradition
Part of Communism.