ABSTRACT
Despite populism gaining increasing scholarly attention across Europe in recent years, the literature reviewed in the country-specific chapters (Parts II–IV in this volume) reveals that our knowledge about the effects of populist communication on citizens is still scant. Of course, this is not to say that we have no idea about which citizens might be especially susceptible to the appeals, rhetoric, or policy proposals of actors using populist ways of communication or which elements of populism might be especially effective. However, most of the assumptions about who is affected, why they are affected, and by what kinds of message elements do not come from systematic studies focusing on the question of communication effects. Rather, these assumptions are derived from studies on voting behavior and the socio-demographic and attitudinal characteristics of those citizens choosing to cast their ballots in favor of a political party or candidate that is regarded as populist. However, drawing direct inferences from voter characteristics to the communicative processes underlying the success or failure of populist actors is just not possible.
