The challenges of populism

This chapter discusses the contextual landscape of populism, considering it through the framework of political culture. A political culture refers to a set of shared views, imaginaries, beliefs, and normative judgements about the political world. The chapter then offers some introductory thoughts on the problematic intersections between community development, democracy, and populism. There are now many criticisms of populism, from a variety of perspectives. But for the purposes of the chapter, the focus is on the ways in which populism undermines civil society. Understanding populist assaults on civil society is important for community development, because civil society provides the habitat in which the various forms of community development operate. To understand how populism threatens civil society, one can begin with the contrast between civil society and populism in regard to pluralism. After analysing convergences and disjunctions, the chapter looks at the ways in which the beliefs and practices of populism challenge community development. It concludes with a brief discussion of community development responses to populism.