Populism, Demagoguery, and Rhetoric in Historical Perspective

One of the most conspicuous gaps in the now voluminous literature on populism is an understanding of populism in historical context. To what extent is contemporary populism a distinctively modern phenomenon? What are its roots and precedents in earlier periods of political history? And how can studying populism in the light of rhetoric and the history of political thought help us answer these questions?

Bringing together the work of an international group of eminent political theorists, Populism, Demagoguery, and Rhetoric in Historical Perspective explores the connections between contemporary populism, populist rhetoric, and a wide range of thinkers and topics in the history of political thought, from the ancient to the modern world. Its chapters demonstrate links between contemporary populism and the tradition of rhetoric: for instance, disputes over populist and elitist approaches to rhetorical persuasion, conflicts between the technical expertise of ＂the few＂ and the lay opinions of ＂the many,＂ and debates over models of political leadership and civic education. The volume also draws new connections between populism and demagoguery, a phenomenon that has been discussed by political theorists and philosophers since antiquity. Contributors explore the significant conceptual overlaps between populism and demagoguery (such as their relation to manipulative or flattering rhetoric, and their resistance to systematic analysis), as well as their important differences (such as populism’s comparatively greater ideological content). With this wide range of connections in mind, the volume draws on diverse perspectives and methodologies to theorize populist politics in historical perspective, and to enrich the debate surrounding it.

Giuseppe Ballacci is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Ethics, Politics and Society (CEPS) at the University of Minho in Portugal. He has written and researched on topics from both contemporary political theory and the history of political thought, in particular regarding questions related to democratic theory, representation, populism, and rhetoric. His essays and reviews have appeared in journals such as Representation: Journal of Representative Democracy; Contemporary Political Theory; The Review of Politics; Theoria: A Journal of Social and Political Theory; Populism; and Redescriptions: Political Thought, Conceptual History and Feminist Theory. He is also the author of Political Theory between Philosophy and Rhetoric: Politics as Transcendence and Contingency.

Rob Goodman is Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he teaches and writes on topics such as populism, rhetoric, and the history of political thought. He is an award-winning author and co-author of several books, including Not Here: Why American Democracy Is Eroding and How Canada Can Protect Itself and Words on Fire: Eloquence and Its Conditions. His current research project on race and American oratory is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. His academic work has been published in journals including the American Political Science Review; History of Political Thought; the Journal of Politics; and Polity. He has also written for publications including Slate, The Atlantic, Politico, Aeon, and The Globe and Mail.