Populism: A Beginner’s Guide

2016 witnessed two of the most momentous events in political history: the UK’s unexpected vote to leave the EU - Brexit - as well as the election of Donald Trump.

Both events were framed by experts and the media in terms of the emergence of populism as a key feature of contemporary political life.
Notwithstanding the fact that the populist surge seems to have lost momentum with the failure of Le Pen and Wilders to get elected in respectively France and Holland, the topic evinces huge interest and a continual flurry of media commentary, documentaries and academic conferences. This is the definitive guide to understanding what, and why is happening in the world today.