“It is not easy to write something original and important about populism these days but this is exactly what Takis Pappas has done.” – Ivan Krastev, Centre for Liberal Strategies, Sofia
“Takis Pappas offers a taut and incisive view of populism, pared down to democratic illiberalism. In a sharp and vigorous analysis, he argues for the separation of what is necessary for understanding populism from what is frequently miscategorized. Pappas unpacking of the notion of the people is a particularly valuable instance of his impressive capacity for conceptual distinctions and disaggregation. The result is an analytically trenchant interrogation of the ideas, practices, leadership styles and recent comparative histories of populism that will stimulate considerable debate among its students and claim a noteworthy place on the populism bookshelf.” – Michael Freeden, University of Oxford
“In this interesting and important contribution to a crucial debate, Takis Pappas highlights through an impressively wide-ranging theoretical discussion the inherent threat that populism poses to liberal democracy. Then he demonstrates through an extensive investigation of crucial cases under what conditions populist leaders can achieve their nefarious goals. The conclusion is that liberal democracy faces a serious challenge, but is not defenseless.” – Kurt Weyland, University of Texas at Austin
“How do you know populism when you see it? In this ground-breaking book, Takis Pappas uses logic and the principles of political theory to develop a clear-cut set of empirical guidelines through which to assess populism and the dangers it poses to liberal democracy. Covering not only the politics of populists, through their direct appeals to ‘the people’, charismatic leadership, and symbolic politics, but also their policies in different institutional settings, this remarkable book stands out for its sweeping discussion of the causes and consequences of populism in power in Europe and the Americas.”
– Vivien A. Schmidt, Pardee School, Boston University
“The subject of populism is now at the center of public concern in countries around the world, but scholarship on the subject is only beginning to catch up. Takis Pappas was one of the first social scientists to make a systematic effort to identify the essential characteristics of present-day populism and to distinguish it from related phenomena, a task he has carried out in a highly original and generally persuasive manner. His new book, which treats populism as synonymous with democratic illiberalism, demonstrates that he remains at the forefront of scholarship in this field. It will also be of interest to anyone concerned with the broader question of the relationship between liberalism and democracy.” – Marc F. Plattner, Journal of Democracy
“This book provides both scholars and practitioners with thoughtful critiques, exacting typologies, and wide-ranging analyses of populism as democratic illiberalism. At the heart of populism’s growing appeal are the growing anxieties of the middle class that they are about to lose their hard-won gains-and the leaders who successfully exploit these fears.” – Anna Grzymala-Busse, Stanford University
“Pappas takes up the methodological challenge of trying to find an ontological basis for the concept of populism with great vigor, with erudition and insight gleaned not only from deep familiarization with the key texts on populism but also from a panoptic comparative approach that takes in data in an impressive global sweep.” – Simon Tormey, Perspectives on Politics
“Takis Pappas offers a new lens to examine populism within the context of democratic governance. [His] biggest contribution is the recognition of populist governance as a form of democratic governance. Others have made this point, but Pappas has constructed a larger framework to make his point. He goes in-depth into multiple examples including an unparalleled examination of Greek populism. And ties these examples back to his larger conceptual framework in the end.” – Democracy Paradox
