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Curated by Project Syndicate

Populism at the Gate

19 commentaries

The populist challenge in many countries has been both a threat and a rebuke to the liberal consensus. How should policymakers who want to defend the principles of tolerance, openness, and rationality best counter their opponents?

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  1. The Last Stand Against Populism
    Marine Le Pen Christophe Morin/IP3

    The Last Stand Against Populism

    Nov 28, 2016 Dominique Moisi considers the consequences of a right-wing populist victory in France's upcoming presidential election.

  2. Containing the Populist Contagion
    Hofer Supporters Austria Jan Hetfleisch/Stringer

    Containing the Populist Contagion

    Nov 24, 2016 Harold James asks whether a firewall can be built around Brexit and Donald Trump's victory in the US.

  3. Pensioners and Populism
    kaletsky28_Dan Kitwood_Getty Images_old voter Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

    Pensioners and Populism

    Oct 28, 2016 Anatole Kaletsky uses Brexit voting data to show that economic dislocation had little to do with the outcome.

  4. How Inequality Found a Political Voice
    spence88_NurPhoto_Getty Images_protest NurPhoto/Getty Images

    How Inequality Found a Political Voice

    Oct 28, 2016 Michael Spence explains how new technologies have both fueled the problem and enabled mobilization against it.

  5. The Anti-Democratic Heart of Populism
    velasco67_Christophe Morin_IP3_Getty Images_marine le pen Christophe Morin/IP3/Getty Images

    The Anti-Democratic Heart of Populism

    Oct 27, 2016 Andrés Velasco rejects the view that populist politics is simply a response to bad economics.

  6. The Blind Alley of Monetary Populism
    frankel67_Tetra Images_Getty Images_fed Tetra Images/Getty Images

    The Blind Alley of Monetary Populism

    Oct 25, 2016 Jeffrey Frankel rebuts the argument that central bankers should be addressing income inequality.

  1. stiglitz331_serggnGetty Images_techregulation serggn/Getty Images

    A Big Defeat for Big Tech

    Joseph E. Stiglitz

    Tech companies know that if there is an open, democratic debate about data security, consumers’ concerns about digital safeguards will win out. And while the industry's lobbyists tried to ensure that no such debate could ever occur, one of their more cynical moves has now been exposed and thwarted.

    details how the industry tried to slip extraordinary protections against regulation into US trade agreements.
  2. zizek27_Giles ClarkeGetty Images_jimmycherizier Giles Clarke/Getty Images

    Haiti’s Proud Boys

    Slavoj Žižek

    If we measure a failed state by the cracks in the edifice of its power, reflected in brewing ideological civil wars, deadlocked assemblies, and increasingly insecure public spaces, we must recognize that the United States is not so unlike Haiti. Both have given rise to violent gangs with political ambitions.

    warns that rich Western democracies are not immune to politically motivated gang violence.
  3. hedegaard11_y Dursun AydemirAnadolu via Getty Images_parliament elections Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Unity Is Europe’s Greatest Asset

    Connie Hedegaard emphasizes the importance of stability amid persistent economic and geopolitical crises.
  4. qian34_PEDRO PARDOAFP via Getty Images_immigration PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images

    The Truth About US Immigration

    Nancy Qian warns that overheated campaign-season rhetoric is dangerously polarizing and ultimately self-defeating.
  5. mueller51_ David McNewGetty Images_gop trump David McNew/Getty Images

    The Zombification of Political Parties

    Jan-Werner Mueller argues that Donald Trump’s capture of the GOP’s organizational machinery recalls authoritarian tactics elsewhere.
  6. basu100_David Dee DelgadoGetty Images_newyork David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

    The Economic Consequences of Legal Behavior

    Kaushik Basu highlights the potential benefits of emphasizing adherence to the spirit of laws, if not their letter.
  7. brown106_KOLA SULAIMONAFP via Getty Images_nigeriaschool Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images

    For Nigeria’s Schools, Safety Must Come First

    Gordon Brown writes that the latest mass abduction of students underscores the dilemma facing parents throughout the country.
  8. owoo1_disabled iStock / Getty Images Plus

    Give Women with Disabilities a Chance

    Nkechi S. Owoo explains what is needed to protect and empower one of the world’s most vulnerable demographic groups.
  9. op_mkurz3_Spencer PlattGetty Images_rustbelt Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    How Capitalism Became a Threat to Democracy

    Mordecai Kurz examines the economic policies and market dynamics that have ushered in America's Second Gilded Age.

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