What are the emerging remedies to the pathologies of populism? Four authors of four new books reflect on how opposition parties, activist groups, global institutions and new political alliances contest the rise of the radical right and offer alternatives for democratic transformation.
Wesley Widmaier, ‘Australian Foreign Policy in Political Time: Middle Power Creativity, Misplaced Friendships, and Crises of Leadership’, Australian Journal of International Affairs, 73(2)
Populism is popular but generally gets a bad press — for good reasons. But could populism actually be a progressive force in domestic and even international politics? Recent movements such as Occupy Wall Street and the abortive Arab Spring suggest it might. This presentation previews my forthcoming book and considers — more in hope than expectation — whether a populist upsurge could actually mobilise around the issue of climate change. We will undoubtedly be forced to respond to climate change eventually, but thoughtful, constructive responses may no longer be possible by the time we do.
