The Populist Politician's Playbook: A Qualitative Study of Senator Mike Lee's Facebook Posts

This study examines how Utah Senator Mike Lee employs agenda-setting strategies on Facebook to cultivate a populist political identity. Using a qualitative content analysis of 2,250 social media posts from 2010, 2016, and 2022, the research explores how Lee crafts his messages to resonate with a local constituency that values constitutional originalism and distrusts federal authority. Guided by agenda-setting theory—particularly the attribute agenda-setting framework—the study identifies three key themes: citizen testimonials, critiques of federal policy, and appeals to constitutional knowledge. These themes reveal how Lee’s rhetoric aligns with populist strategies, including personalization, audience-specific digital literacy, and the framing of elite opposition. The findings suggest that social media enables politicians like Lee to bypass traditional media, reinforce voter trust, and adapt messages in response to public sentiment. This case contributes to a broader understanding of how local populist politicians leverage social media to maintain political relevance and power. Keywords: populism, agenda-setting theory, social media, political communication, Mike Lee