Editors' Note: The SAIS Review Editorial Board
Buy Issue for $25 at JHUP- Editors' NoteThe SAIS Review Editorial Board
Populism in its current manifestations has rattled the confidence of the western liberal democratic order. Populist movements—ranging from the Brexit vote to the election of US President Donald Trump—stem from a variety of factors including burgeoning economic dissatisfaction as well as rising nationalism. While populist sentiment can serve as a catalyst for change, or a platform for the disenfranchised, it can also have serious consequences for the international system. How populist governments choose to act will have a global impact with implications for the international economic and political order in an increasingly interconnected world.
Until recently, the international system would have been described as multilateral, interconnected, and mutually beneficial. However, the term populism has shifted the terminology to words such as protectionist, independent, and "America first."
The newest issue seeks to elucidate understandings of current populist movements and their influence on the global landscape. Specifically, it seeks to explore how these modern adaptations of populism are different from those of the past; how multilateral systems, or the fields of diplomacy and security, are affected by populist regimes; and, finally, the overall impact of modern populism on foreign policy.
Issue 37, Volume 1, seeks to further explore the populist phenomenon by delving into its theoretical underpinnings and exploring numerous case studies of its movements and leaders. In our first section, authors develop theories for modern populism, relying on public opinion surveys, history, and established political theory as evidence. Our second section explores current global populist episodes, and their effect on foreign policy.
First, authors Fransisco Gonzalez and Clifford Young use public opinion surveys and recent populist episodes in Latin America to develop a theoretical framework for conditions under which populism arises. Next, Jennifer Kasner uses the United States as a case study to argue that the international system must adapt to a 21st century framework—one that allows for connections between individuals of different networks, in addition to different nations. Lastly, Ted Carpenter argues, through a variety of modern case studies, that populism will cause the international system to orient away from the Western liberal democratic order formed in the aftermath of World War II; instead, it will gravitate toward the more adversarial and nationally interested environment that pervaded the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Next, we turn to populist leaders and incidents throughout the world. Erik Jones investigates populism in Europe, using the recent French election [End Page 1] as a window into instability. Moving east, Lyndon Allin and Natalia Garbu explore Moldova and its populist political movements that are having a profound effect on the country. Jonathan Leslie writes on Israel and examines the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Leslie proves that Netanyahu uses populist tools, which have a profound effect on foreign policy. We then move to Latin America, which regionally has seen the emergence of the majority of populist movements since World War II. Carlos de la Torre provides a case study of populism in Latin America, discussing Bolivarianism and Hugo Chavez's effect on other leaders in the region. Lastly, James Mersol, our Issue 37.1 essay contest winner, discusses Vladimir Putin and his use of populism throughout his rule in Russia.
Our final section includes two book reviews on extremely important recent texts on populism. First, Andrew Zapf reviews Jan-Werner Müller's What is Populism?, a timely piece that studies the rise of modern populism. Our final article is Matt Sindelar's review of Arlie Russell Hochschild's Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right, an important look into understanding populism's allure in the United States.
In presenting these different lenses and perspectives on modern populism, this issue of the SAIS Review aims to promote the journal's mission of advancing debate on leading contemporary issues in world affairs. The SAIS Review will continue to work toward this mission through future programming and the publication of content through our web platform. We hope you learn from the breadth of themes and ideas presented in this issue of the SAIS Review and look forward to your continued engagement with the journal as we feature and...
