Populism and Constitutionalism Revisited

ABSTRACT /  Everyone is now talking about populism, although the question of the relationship of its varieties to democracy and even constitutionalism is hotly debated. The lecture will first define the populist phenomenon in terms that are relevant to contemporary left and right versions. Next, I will proceed to distinguish the different organizational forms of populism: movement, party, government and regime. The relationship to constitutionalism will be considered primarily theoretically, in terms of the proposed definition, and the logic of transitions among the different organizational forms. Empirical cases will however be kept in mind, from the Andean Republics to Central Europe, with references also to the United States.