{"id":1594,"date":"2025-04-28T13:12:32","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T13:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/academics\/tocqueville-program\/?post_type=furman-update&p=1594"},"modified":"2025-07-29T19:45:54","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T19:45:54","slug":"lecture-summary-populism-in-america-jan-werner-muller-pippa-norris-and-eric-kaufmann-april-8-2025","status":"publish","type":"furman-update","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/academics\/tocqueville-program\/lectures\/lecture-summary-populism-in-america-jan-werner-muller-pippa-norris-and-eric-kaufmann-april-8-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Lecture Summary, Populism in America: Jan-Werner M\u00fcller, Pippa Norris, and Eric Kaufmann, April 8, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Watch the recording:<\/strong> Populism in America \u2013 April 8<\/a><\/p>\n

On April 24, the Tocqueville Center welcomed three leading scholars of populism\u2014Jan-Werner M\u00fcller, Pippa Norris, and Eric Kaufmann\u2014for a major conversation on Populism in America<\/em>. The event brought together students, faculty, and members of the community to explore the global and national forces reshaping democratic societies today.<\/p>\n

Following Director Brent Nelsen’s welcome, the evening\u2019s speakers offered definitions of populism, analyses of its causes, and reflections on how democracies should respond.<\/p>\n

\n

Jan-Werner M\u00fcller: Populism and Anti-Pluralism<\/h2>\n
\"Jan-Werner

Jan-Werner M\u00fcller explains the anti-pluralist roots of populism<\/p><\/div>\n

Jan-Werner M\u00fcller, Roger Williams Straus Professor of Social Sciences at Princeton University, began by cautioning against the overuse of the word populism<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n

“We’re not doing ourselves a favor if we label policies like protectionism or democratic socialism as populist,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Rather than defining populism as mere anti-elitism, M\u00fcller emphasized that true populism is fundamentally anti-pluralist.<\/p>\n

\n

“Populists claim that they, and only they, represent the real people. This excludes some citizens from the body politic and damages democracy itself.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

M\u00fcller warned that populists, once in power, consistently undermine democratic institutions:<\/p>\n

\n

“All populists in power, when they have enough time and resources, take their countries in an authoritarian direction.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

Pippa Norris: Authoritarian Populism as a Global Phenomenon<\/h2>\n
\"Pippa

Pippa Norris discusses authoritarian populism and global democratic backsliding<\/p><\/div>\n

Pippa Norris, Paul F. McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics at Harvard University, expanded the conversation beyond the American context.<\/p>\n

\n

“America is, in some ways, following Europe rather than leading it when it comes to populism,” she observed.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Norris distinguished between populism as a rhetorical style and authoritarian populism as a political reality. She emphasized that authoritarian populism combines anti-elite appeals with loyalty to a strongman figure, often resulting in democratic backsliding.<\/p>\n

Drawing on her research, Norris outlined three broad explanations for the rise of authoritarian populism:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Economic grievances among those left behind by globalization<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    Ethnic and racial backlash against immigration and diversity<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    Cultural backlash against progressive social change since the 1960s<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Of these, Norris argued that cultural factors are most significant:<\/p>\n

    \n

    “It’s a cultural backlash more than an economic backlash which is at the cause of many of these phenomena.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    \n

    Eric Kaufmann: Immigration and Populist Realignment<\/h2>\n
    \"Eric

    Eric Kaufmann analyzes immigration and the populist realignment<\/p><\/div>\n

    Eric Kaufmann, Professor of Politics at the University of Buckingham and Director of the Center for Heterodox Social Science, focused his remarks on the role of immigration in fueling right-wing populism.<\/p>\n

    \n

    “Without the immigration issue, we would not have anything like the populism on the right that we see in the West today,” Kaufmann stated.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Using extensive survey data, Kaufmann demonstrated that concerns over immigration consistently outweigh economic factors in predicting populist support in both Europe and the United States.<\/p>\n

    \n

    “Among white Americans who say immigration should be reduced a lot, over eight in ten voted for Trump. Income level made almost no difference.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Kaufmann emphasized that immigration is not merely a material concern, but reflects deeper psychological divides:<\/p>\n

    \n

    “Diversity splits people by psychological makeup\u2014those who see change as loss move toward populism.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    He noted that immigration concerns are not limited to white voters:<\/p>\n

    \n

    “You can actually get what I call ethno-traditional nationalism\u2014where even minorities who identify with a traditional image of the country react to rapid demographic change.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    \n
    \"Jan-Werner

    Brent Nelsen and Jim Guth join Jan-Werner M\u00fcller, Pippa Norris, and Eric Kaufmann for a panel discussion on populism<\/p><\/div>\n

    Panel Discussion: Causes and Responses to Populism<\/h2>\n

    During the panel discussion, moderator Dr. James Guth asked the speakers to respond to one another\u2019s presentations and address how democracies should engage with populist movements.<\/p>\n

    M\u00fcller reiterated the need to distinguish populism from related but distinct phenomena:<\/p>\n

    \n

    “We must not conflate anti-immigration sentiment with populism itself. Populism is fundamentally about anti-pluralism.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Norris argued that while immigration is a powerful symbol, it taps into broader cultural anxieties:<\/p>\n

    \n

    “Immigrants symbolize perceived threats to traditional values more than to economic security.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Kaufmann responded that political elites’ failure to address immigration concerns has fueled populist backlash:<\/p>\n

    \n

    “There has been an attempt to restrict debate. If you bring up immigration, you’re accused of being a racist. That forces voters toward populists.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    The panelists discussed the risks and trade-offs of “cordon sanitaire” strategies (excluding populist parties from political participation) versus engagement. M\u00fcller cautioned against normalization without critique:<\/p>\n

    \n

    “Total exclusion is bad, but uncritical inclusion is worse.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    \n

    \"Audience<\/h2>\n

    Closing Reflections<\/h2>\n

    The evening concluded with audience questions on generational change, the sources of anti-immigration sentiment, and the prospects for democratic resilience.<\/p>\n

    Reflecting on the Tocquevillean spirit of the event, M\u00fcller reminded the audience:<\/p>\n

    \n

    “Democracy is about conflict and disagreement\u2014but without the recognition that not all opponents are enemies, democracy erodes.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    The Tocqueville Center thanks all participants, fellows, and supporters for their engagement throughout the 2024\u20132025 academic year.<\/p>\n

    To learn more about upcoming events, join our mailing list<\/a> or visit our website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Watch the recording: Populism in America \u2013 April 8 On April 24, the Tocqueville Center welcomed three leading scholars of populism\u2014Jan-Werner M\u00fcller, Pippa Norris, and Eric Kaufmann\u2014for a major conversation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1595,"template":"","update-categories":[10],"class_list":["post-1594","furman-update","type-furman-update","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","furman-update-category-past-lectures"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/academics\/tocqueville-program\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lectures\/1594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/academics\/tocqueville-program\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lectures"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/academics\/tocqueville-program\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/furman-update"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/academics\/tocqueville-program\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lectures\/1594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1610,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/academics\/tocqueville-program\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lectures\/1594\/revisions\/1610"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/academics\/tocqueville-program\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/academics\/tocqueville-program\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"furman-update-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/academics\/tocqueville-program\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/update-categories?post=1594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}