Populism and Empowerment

This paper examines the multifaceted relationship between populism and power, analyzing how populist mobilization influences the distribution and nature of power within society. Drawing on the idea that power is based on power resources, and that dominant classes who control economic resources develop elaborate systems of power that shape policies, create institutional bias, and shape people’s beliefs, we explore populism's impact on relations of domination. We distinguish between different forms of empowerment—a liberating form that challenges domination and a non-liberating form that adjusts to domination—and evaluate how different populist movements relate to this distinction. The analysis highlights that populism’s impact on power is complex, often producing shallow empowerment that does not necessarily translate into liberation from relations of domination. The paper emphasizes the importance of understanding populism beyond its electoral features, considering its capacity to reshape power relations, influence beliefs and subjectivities, and either contest or reinforce inequalities.