Understanding Populism

A concise and analytically rigorous guide to one of the most contested concepts in contemporary politics. Understanding Populism is driven by a clear objective: to advance understanding of populism by systematically dismantling the myths that continue to dominate public discourse and, at times, academic debate. The book approaches populism as a coherent yet flexible set of ideas that can be analyzed through careful conceptual clarification and comparison. The book opens with an unconventional introduction structured as a dialogue that directly addresses common misunderstandings and establishes the volume’s analytical orientation. The core of the book consists of 101 short chapters organized into six thematic sections, each devoted to critically examining a central myth about populism. Each section concludes with a synthetic reflection highlighting key insights.