Populism in Southeast Asia

This chapter outlines the experience of populism in democratic Southeast Asia. It outlines an understanding of populism as a political strategy in which leaders seek to directly mobilize the people through mass communication. This approach is especially useful in explaining the trajectory of populism in a region where political parties have been historically weak. The chapter briefly summarizes this historical experience, with a special focus on The Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, the states with the most extended democratic records in the region. The chapter concludes with some suggestions on how this approach to conceptualizing populism may also facilitate theorizing about populism’s causes in the region.