Left-wing populism
Political ideology that combines left-wing politics and populist rhetoric and themes / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Left-wing populism, also called social populism, is a political ideology that combines left-wing politics with populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric often includes elements of anti-elitism, opposition to the Establishment, and speaking for the "common people".[1] Recurring themes for left-wing populists include economic democracy, social justice, and skepticism of globalization. Socialist theory plays a lesser role than in traditional left-wing ideologies.[2][3]
The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with Europe and the Americas and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (March 2024) |
Criticism of capitalism and globalization is also linked to unpopular United States military operations, especially those in the Middle East.[4] It is considered that the populist left does not exclude others horizontally and relies on egalitarian ideals.[1] Some scholars also speak of nationalist left-wing populist movements, a feature exhibited by the Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua or the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela. Unlike exclusionary or right-wing populism, left-wing populist parties are generally supportive of minority rights,[5][6] as well as to an idea of nationality that is not delimited by cultural or ethnic particularisms.[7] Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, self-described democratic socialists, are examples of modern left-wing populist politicians in the United States.[8][9][10][11] With the rise of Syriza and Podemos during the European debt crisis, there has been increased debate on new left-wing populism in Europe.[12][13]
Traditionally, left-wing populism has been associated with the socialist movement; since the 2010s, there has been a movement close to left-wing populism in the left-liberal camp,[14][15][16][17][18] some of which are considered social democratic positions.[19][20] Left-liberal economic populism appealing to the working class has been prominent in some countries, such as with Joe Biden of United States and Lee Jae-myung of South Korea, in the 2020s, where liberal and conservative parties are the main two parties.[21]