Populism—A Crux or Crisis of Politics? Laclau versus Arendt

This article juxtaposes Laclau’s defense of left-wing populism with Arendt’s theory of democratic alliances and political action. This juxtaposition adds two new questions to the debates on populism: First, what is the relation between popular political demands and populist identities? Second, is popular agency synonymous with popular sovereignty? Ultimately at stake in this debate is the articulation of political engagements that are able to provide an alternative to the right-wing mobilization of populism.