Has Populism Won?: The War on Liberal Democracy

by Daniel Drache, Marc D. Froese

In the shadow of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, two experts show us how and why global populism has taken root and what it will take to turn the tide

From Trumpian America to Putin’s nationalist Russia, and from Poland to the Philippines, rapid change and rising inequality have fueled a retreat into tribalist nationalism fed by a fear of being left behind. Populist leaders reach into this fear, using it as a lever to power with empty promises of looking out for the little person and promising a return to national greatness. This is happening in countries spread across the globe and the political spectrum, arising in the right and the left alike, and recently brought into harsh relief against Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. So why are we so susceptible to this pernicious political style at this moment? How did we get here? And more importantly, will we get back to more even-handed governments?

Filled with original research, political scientists Drache and Froese have written a chilling, compelling analysis of the rise of populism, and reveal what it will take to douse the flames. This is an essential read for anyone concerned about the encroachments on freedom and the rule of law around the world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, History, Audiobook

200 pages, Paperback

Published October 18, 2022

Reviews

[Rhys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, a good description of populism or authoritarian populism. And as the title suggests, populism is compared to 'liberal democracy' where notions of capital are largely ignored. As such, the authors tend to conflate left and right wing 'populism' into 'the masses' - perhaps this is accurate, but it leaves no handle to grab this beast by.

"The populists’ third lasting impact is that they have scrambled the left/right binary. Ideology is so basic to politics that throwing it out seems an impossible feat. But the populists did it by substituting emotion and tribal loyalty for reasoned discourse. There is nothing new to this tactic. Hannah Arendt described it best when she argued that totalitarian movements organize “masses—not classes.” Masses are rallied using emotion, and strong feelings often appear to eclipse the logic of ideology and interests" (p.154).

[Despina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This title really piqued my interest - with global politics seemingly shifting more into populist territory, I expected to hear an analysis of gains and losses made by various movements that would fall within that umbrella and a critical observation of the global interdependent events. 'Has Populism Won' was a title that was meant to be answered within the pages of the book - instead, there was a very 'beginner level' introduction to populism and the differences between various terms such as populism, nativism, authoritarian - which I thought would serve as a base for differentiation - but were followed up with generalisations and mixing of terms in ways most people would interpret as interchangeable. We followed a number of different points made by the authors, but I generally found there was a lack of direction in the book. I don't honestly think I got an answer to the titular question, nor did I feel I gained much understanding or knowledge apart from a few statistics which were interesting and worth knowing.

I found this book riddled with sweeping generalisation with a huge lack of contextualisation on a lot of the specific examples they brought up (for example, their observations on the UK and Greek politics, both of which I am extremely familiar with, were generalised and lacked any level of nuance, thrown instead at the end of an example without elaboration. I am certain this is the case with other countries' examples also, but I may be less familiar with their political systems so couldn't tell how much was oversimplified).

Also, mentioning Putin and Zelensky in the same breath as both populists and implying they are similar in a way *really* didn't sit well with me. That happened a lot, with repeating names being used to exemplify certain things but no context really given.

I listened to this in audiobook format which I do not think was the appropriate medium for this book, not because of the narrator who did an excellent job with what she was given, but reading out specific URL's and the back of the book which was essentially a bibliography, and trying to explain various graphs which were not visually in front of us was a very difficult experience for me at least.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this audiobook by ECW Press Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, which I leave voluntarily.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you know nothing about populism then this is the book for you! It will give you a good basis in what it is, where it came from and how it’s risen in recent years, with a good sprinkling of sociology in there, the probably for me is; as someone who loves politics and teaches voting and trends, I know too much! It was presented very well too! Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for this copy

[alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, smoothly written, but the examples and explanations given don't always sit right. There could be a tighter conceptual definition of populism as opposed to just illiberal non-Western autocrats. I'm surprised that even Xi and Lee Kuan Yew get labelled as populists. They put in place systems of power that did not require populism and in fact repressed any form of mass negative reactions to prevailing policies. I don't even know what Zelensky did to be labelled a populist, besides having a prior career as an actor.

[David Sheridan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting review of the current rise of populism and populist leaders around the world that looks at the trends, the reasons why populism is gaining ground (including the legitimate fact that liberal governments over the past number of decades have failed to ensure that the rewards of globalization were shared equitably), and the characteristics and tactics employed by the populist politician. Well worth a read.

[Igor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I made a mistake of picking the audiobook version which was probably the worst audiobook I ever listened to when it comes to editing/production. There’s a ton of endnotes in the book which I’ve seen used in other audiobooks in a way that allows you to follow along easily. Here, it’s a total chaos. Still, not a one star review as I enjoyed those portions of the content where I wasn’t lost.

[Phil Livingston · Rating 2 out of 5]

“If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?”

In the first chapter, the authors cite a Tony Blair created list of populist leaders. I should have stopped reading there. If you’re citing Blair for a definition of populism you have already determined that neo-liberalism subservient to capital and oligarchic dictators (MBS) is the ideal government.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pro: A good overview of the current state of affairs globally.

Cons: Being written by Canadian academics, I was hoping for much more focus on Canada. Secondly, they don’t provide any space for what is being done / should be done about the problem.

[Cindy Crane-Wilson]

Has Populism won?
The War on Liberal Democracy by Daniel Drache and Marc. D. Froese
Review written by Cindy Crane, ECW Insider
July 14, 2022
These two Canadians, MARC D. FROESE (Professor of Political Science in Lacombe), Alberta and DANIEL DRACHE (Professor emeritus of political science in Toronto) are well qualified to write on this topic.
In my opinion, the thesis of this book is a warning about the startling momentum of authoritarian populism’s assault on liberal democracy everywhere. The authors want to show how populist movements around the world operate seemingly independently but instead build a loose network of like-minded voters, activists, and autocratic leaders. They examine the rising populist threat to democracy, and show how the populists have placed the dismantling of the postwar order at the center of their project for more national sovereignty.
This is their warning: “authoritarianism is radicalizing the true believer, and the populist insurgency is growing more brazen dangerous. The more extreme the tone of politics inside a growing number of states, the more worried we should be that something is going terribly wrong globally. Defending democracy starts with unmasking those who would destroy it.” (xix, xx) The authors believe that governments have failed to recognize that populism is a consequence of the failure of liberalism to spread the benefits of globalization more equally.
Drache and Froese developed their own look at electoral results of populist victories, and in other places they used the Pew Research Centre, the International Monetary Fund, and other non-partisan organizations that analyze political and economic trends to study and present results on thirty-five countries.
The authors describe populism as a social movement organized by angry alienated voters and controlled by rich donors that divides people into either good, real people or the evil elite. They believe that populism is driven by angry voters who have pivoted toward channeling popular frustration into political energy.
Drache and Froese present what they call big lies, using examples from the Russia-Ukraine war and the tension between Israelis and Palestinians, which, depending on your viewpoint, you will either agree is a lie or believe it is the truth. Either way, the authors encourage you to come to your own conclusions.
The authors discuss four types of ideas that populists use to motivate voters: the First Citizen of the Empire, the National Defender, the Holy Crusader, and the Conspirator-in-Chief, and other topics such as The Unholy Trinity of Populism, Tribalism, and Religion.
This book is very current, as Drache and Froese also discuss the January 2022 convoy of truckers and activists opposed to vaccine mandates in Ottawa.
The book includes the anti-system vote chart, reelection prospects for selected countries, ten books recommended for further reading, extensive endnotes, and a detailed index.
After reading the introduction, I couldn’t wait to read on, as I fear democracy is being destroyed by populism and am interested to learn how to defend democracy on an individual level. This book’s target audience, in my opinion, is someone with university education, a deep understanding of political terminology, and a keen interest in current events. This is a difficult read that at times left me unclear as to the author’s position and left me unclear as to how to present said defense. But the book is well researched and full of thought provoking ideas.

[Arevik Heboyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

thanks to the publishers and NG for the opportunity to get acquainted with this work- I enjoyed the research.
Audiobook had many issues and, in my opinion, will need re-narration, but the work itself is fascinating.
Populism is a topic that captures my interest utmost, as my homeland, Armenia, and my current residence country USA ( granted all politicians are populists) are deeply and disturbingly passing through a very brutal populism wave. It does impact the lives of millions ( not being dramatic).
And surely, I do not agree with every point the authors make, but for research and ease of explanation, I do like this book.
I hope to read a continuation and deeper dive into this topic by the authors.

[Lo]

I forced myself to listen to this while doing yardwork. What I learned is politics (still) has a way over going over my head and making my eyes glass over, because it inevitably all sounds like doom and gloom. I was also reminded of why I shied away from politics while obtaining my international studies degrees and leaned more toward literature and gender studies.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

All politics are populist. Now, populism is used as a shorthand for ”the guys I don't like”. So this is simply another argument of how ”democracy” is Drache imposing his gang over ”their” gang, as having power over the reader's life.

[N Rizkalla · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book mired by falsehood and deceit that would have never been published except through funding by the Government of Canada. A government notoriously known for wasting hardly earned taxpayers money!

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting look but the footnotes are missing for the most interesting part making the argument look weak.

[Jeff J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An over reliance on generalizations weakens the author’s arguments.

[Lizzie Sharples · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Audio ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.co.uk in return for an honest review ***

I though this was a really interesting audiobook about the rise of populism. I think it is accessible and a really good starting point for understanding world politics and the current push to the right. The break down in the difference between what people perceive as being patriotic but is actually nationalism I thought was particularly interesting.

While Trump & Putin are probably what pops into your head initially, I think it was good to hear lots of examples of populism around the world and throughout history. The only downfall was the appendix being read out in full. I thought that I was only just over halfway through and had more to go and was quite disappointed that the remainder was a list of studies and references!