The strategic approach to populism

Building on the work of Max Weber, this chapter argues that populism as a form of charismatic mass mobilization can be distinguished from both bureaucratic and patronage-based political strategies. Bureaucratic or programmatic mobilization relies on embedding supporters into party networks through formal and informal associations. Patronage mobilization entails buying voters’ support through the distribution of material incentives that are dispersed through a network of intermediaries known as brokers. Political leaders may combine these strategies, but populists can be identified by their primary reliance on direct appeals to the masses rather than on mediating institutions such as parties or brokers. Populists eschew organizational structures that constrain their autonomy. Where bureaucratic party formation has been weak, democratic politics has tended to oscillate between patronage-based and populist forms of political mobilization. The organizational strategy provides an analytical lens to explain the causes and consequences of populism in Asia and beyond.

© 2024 selection and editorial matter, D. B. Subedi, Howard Brasted, Karin von Strokirch, and Alan Scott; individual chapters, the contributors.