Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3281: Trumping the Mainstream: The Populist Radical Right and Democratic Politics

This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.

Overview

NQF Level 6
Credits 15 ECTS Value 7.5
Term(s) and duration

This module will run during term 2 (11 weeks)

Academic staff

Dr Lise Herman (Convenor)

Pre-requisites

None.

Co-requisites

None.

Available via distance learning

Yes

A paradox lies at the heart of the populist discourse. References to "The People" have paved the long road to democracy in the West, and still act today as a reminder of the centrality of popular sovereignty to representative government. Yet populism is also inherently at odds with the pluralist ethos that structures liberal democracy, and when in power threatens democratic institutions at their core. This module combines the insights of contemporary populism studies and the history of political thought to help you understand this paradox. It will provide you with a historical perspective on the relationship between the Populist Radical Right (PRR), a specific nativist and authoritarian brand of populism, and democracy. It will also offer you tools to understand the causes and consequences of PRR success in the West in past decades. This module will encourage your active engagement in group work and class discussion, including formal debates and simulations.

Module created

22/02/2022

Last revised

27/10/2022