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In the mid-1970s, after decades 
of political turmoil,

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Greece finally seemed 
to be on the path to stability.

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With the introduction 
of a new constitution

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and negotiations underway 
to enter European institutions,

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many analysts expected Greek politics

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to follow the pattern 
of the larger Western world.

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Then in 1981, a political party 
called PASOK came to power.

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Its charismatic leader Andreas Papandreou
railed against the new constitution,

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and accused those in power 
of “national betrayal.”

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Opposing Greece’s membership in NATO
and the European Economic Community,

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Papandreou promised to govern 
for the betterment of the “common people"

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above all else.

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He famously declared, “there are 
no institutions, only the people exist.”

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Papandreou’s rise to power 
isn’t a unique story.

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In many democratic countries 
around the world,

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charismatic leaders vilify 
political opponents,

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disparage institutions,
and claim the mantle of the people.

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Some critics label this approach
as authoritarian or fascist,

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and many argue that these leaders 
are using emotions

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to manipulate and deceive voters.

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But whether or not this style of politics
is ethical, it's certainly democratic,

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and it goes by the name of populism.

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The term populism has been around
since Ancient Rome,

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and has its roots in the Latin word 
“populus” meaning “the people."

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But since then populism has been used 
to describe dozens of political movements,

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often with counterintuitive and sometimes
contradictory goals.

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Populist movements have rebelled 
against monarchies, monopolies,

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and a wide variety 
of powerful institutions.

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It’s not possible to cover 
the full history of this term here.

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Instead, we’re focusing 
on one specific type of populism—

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the kind that describes 
Papandreou’s administration

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and numerous other governments 
over the last 70 years: modern populism.

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But to understand how political theorists
define this phenomenon

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we first need to explore 
what it’s responding to.

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In the aftermath of World War Two,

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many countries wanted to move away 
from totalitarian ideologies.

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They sought a new political system

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that prioritized individual 
and social rights,

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aimed at political consensus, 
and respected the rule of law.

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As a result, most Western nations adopted
a longstanding form of government

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called liberal democracy.

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In this context, “liberal” 
doesn’t refer to any political party,

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but rather a type of democracy 
that has three essential components.

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First, liberal democracies accept 
that society

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is full of many, often crosscutting 
divisions that generate conflict.

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Second, it requires that society’s 
many factions

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seek common ground 
across those divisions.

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Finally, liberal democracies rely 
on the rule of law

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and the protection of minority rights,

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as specified in constitutions
and legal statutes.

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Taken together, these ideals propose

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that tolerance and institutions 
that protect us from intolerance,

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are the bedrock of a functional 
and diverse democratic society.

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Liberal democracies helped bring stability
to the nations that adopted them.

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But like any system of government, 
they didn’t solve everything.

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Among other issues, 
an ever-increasing wealth gap

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led to underserved communities

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who distrusted both their wealthy 
neighbors and their political leaders.

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In some cases, political corruption
further damaged the public's trust.

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Growing suspicion and resentment 
around these politicians

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primed citizens to look 
for a new kind of leader

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who would challenge 
established institutions

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and put the needs of the people first.

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In many ways, this reaction 
highlights democracy in action:

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if the majority of a population feels
their interests are underrepresented,

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they can elect leaders to change 
that using existing democratic systems.

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But this is where assertive, modern 
populist candidates can subvert democracy.

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Modern populists identify themselves 
as embodying the "will of the people,"

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and they place those interests

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above the institutions 
that protect individual and social rights.

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Modern populists argue 
these institutions

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are run by a self-serving ruling minority,

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who seek to control the vast majority
of virtuous common people.

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As a result, politics is no longer about
seeking compromise and consensus

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through tolerant democratic institutions.

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Instead, these leaders seek to overturn
what they see as a broken system.

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This means that where a liberal democracy
has the utmost respect for institutions

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like courtrooms, free press, 
and national constitutions,

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modern populists disparage 
any establishment that disagrees

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with the so-called “common will."

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Modern populist parties 
have arisen in many places,

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but the leaders of these movements
are remarkably similar.

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They’re often charismatic individuals

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who identify themselves as embodying 
the “will of the people."

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They make exorbitant promises 
to their supporters,

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while casting their opponents as traitors
actively undermining the country.

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But whether these politicians are sincere
believers or manipulative opportunists,

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the dynamics they unleash

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can be profoundly destabilizing
for liberal democracy.

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Even when modern populist leaders 
don’t follow through

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with their most extreme promises,

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their impact on political discourse, 
the rule of law, and public trust

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can long outlast their time in office.