How to perform crisis: a model for understanding the key role of crisis in contemporary populism

Journal article


Moffitt, Ben. (2015). How to perform crisis: a model for understanding the key role of crisis in contemporary populism. Government and Opposition: an international journal of comparative politics. 50(2), pp. 189 - 217. https://doi.org/10.1017/gov.2014.13
AuthorsMoffitt, Ben
Abstract

A focus on crisis is a mainstay of the literature on contemporary populism. However, the links between populism and crisis remain under-theorized and undeveloped. This article puts forward anovel perspective for understanding this relationship, arguing that crisis does not just trigger populism, but that populism also attempts to act as a trigger for crisis. This is because crises are always mediated and 'performed'. The article presents a six-step model of how populist actors 'perform' crisis, drawing on empirical examples from Europe, Latin America, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. It explains how the performance of crisis allows populist actors to pit 'the people' against a dangerous other, radically simplify the terrain of political debate and advocate strong leadership. It ultimately suggests that we should move from thinking of crisis as something purely external to populism, towards thinking about the performance of crisis as an internal core feature of populism

KeywordsBenjamin Moffitt
Year2015
JournalGovernment and Opposition: an international journal of comparative politics
Journal citation50 (2), pp. 189 - 217
PublisherCambridge University Press
ISSN0017-257X
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1017/gov.2014.13
Scopus EID2-s2.0-84995324188
Open accessOpen access
Page range189 - 217
Research GroupSchool of Arts
Publisher's version
Place of publicationUnited Kingdom
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https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8qvx1/how-to-perform-crisis-a-model-for-understanding-the-key-role-of-crisis-in-contemporary-populism

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