Shadows of Populist Ideology: A Threat to Democracy

The phenomenon of populism has emerged in recent decades as a subject of extensive discussions and debate within scholarly circles, yet definitive consensus and conclusions remain elusive. Researchers and historians have diligently sought to unravel the contradictory and complex assumptions about populism, particularly its relationships to democracy. However, the dimensions of populist ideologies, akin to Jung’s concept of the shadow in individuals, discredit populism. Several articles suggest the thin ideological connection between populism and populist ideology in democracy, and very few comparative articles mention the rise of the shadows of populist ideologies in democracy. The present entry explores the shadow of populism, the increase in populistic ideologies in democracy, and how the shadows of populist ideologies overshadow populism.