Populist leadership

Abstract

This paper reconstructs how different approaches to populism consider the role of
the leader. After mapping these debates, the paper reconstructs Max Weber's concept
of charismatic leadership to make sense of how passions, emotions, and interests are
connected in populism. It distinguishes populists from other forms of leadership in today's
audience democracies, where personalities are more important than partisan platforms.
Using examples from the Americas and Europe, the article distinguishes between rightwing
and left-wing populisms, and differentiates populism as a movement and parties
challenging power, populism in power, and populist regimes.