Populist parties and politicians are surging in both developed and new democracies, prompting much analytical and popular concern. Their rise is largely due to the failure of mainstream political parties to articulate and respond to popular concerns about immigration, changing labor markets, and perceived cultural threats. This talk explains how populists benefited from the shortcomings of mainstream parties, how they gained power in several countries, and the consequences of their governance for the formal and informal institutions of liberal democracy.

Anna Grzymala-Busse is the Michelle and Kevin Douglas Professor of International Studies in the Department of Political Science at Stanford University. Her research interests include political parties, state development and transformation, informal political institutions, religion and politics, and post-communist politics. She is the author of Redeeming the Communist Past, Rebuilding Leviathan, and Nations Under God.

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