Dr. Anderson is John Dewey Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy and Women’s Studies and Chair of the Philosophy Department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She has taught at UM since 1987, specializing in moral and
political philosophy, especially on democratic theory, egalitarianism and its history, and the roles of experts and citizens in democratic policy making.

This talk will explain what populism is and trace its origins to tensions in democracy going back to Rousseau. The speaker will show how populism can be either left-wing or right-wing, highlight the characteristic messages of populist leaders, and argue that populism, although cast as a fulfillment of democracy, is a threat to it as well as to sound public policy formation.

This is the second in a six-lecture series. The subject is Populism: The Common People in Modern Politics. The next lecture series will start January 11, 2018. The title is Architecture: Shaping Buildings; Shaping Us.