| Popis: |
This chapter explores the narratives on which democracy justified itself and argues that populism has grown more attractive to voters as those narratives unraveled in recent years. The first section of this chapter discusses the weakening claim of democratic supremacy in the economic domain, beginning with the rising economic expectations created by post-reconstruction Western Europe and the United States and their demise after the financial crisis, remarking on the concentration of populist anger in sites of acute economic dislocation in democracies and the decline in real income among the working and middle classes. The chapter then shifts to discussing social conditions, commenting on the relationship between the cultural estrangement caused by migration and demographic shifts and its effect on the sense of cohesion on which many democracies rest. The chapter concludes by noting the failure of established political channels to address these senses of isolation and insecurity, which are primary concerns of populist voters. |
