ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 illustrates the development of populism in history, showing the many possible typologies of populist movements, parties, and actors from Ancient Greece to the Occupy movements. The aim of the chapter is to explain what populism is, to illustrate the role of concepts such as ‘the elite’ and ‘the people,’ and to provide a definition that reduces the complexity of populism to a common denominator. Populism, following an ideational approach, is conceptualized as an ideology that can be articulated discursively and therefore its presence can be measured over time and across countries. Finally, the chapter illustrates the relationship between populism and democracy, claiming that several illiberal elements of the populist idea of power have an impact on its social acceptability.
