Populism is one of the most talked-about ideas in modern politics, but what does it actually mean?

In this episode of Fed Up, But Figuring It Out, we unpack the rise of populism, why politicians across the political spectrum claim to represent "the people," and how the term has evolved from a political movement into a powerful branding tool.

We explore the relationship between populism and meritocracy, the tension between expertise and representation, and why so many self-proclaimed populist leaders come from the very elite institutions they claim to oppose. We examine what separates authentic representation from political performance.

Most importantly, we ask a deeper question: Who gets included when politicians talk about "the people", and who gets left out?

If you've ever wondered why every politician claims they're fighting for ordinary people, this episode is for you.

Sources:

BBC Ideas. (2019, February). Populism explained | A-Z of ISMs Episode 16 - BBC Ideas. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5U61HGQ-OQ

Cole, T. A. (2025, November 13). To reform meritocracy, put character at the center. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/to-reform-meritocracy-put-character-at-the-center/ Cultural populism.

ECPS. (n.d.). https://www.populismstudies.org/Vocabulary/cultural-populism/

Friedman, S., Ellersgaard, C., Reeves, A., & Larsen, A. G. (2023). The meaning of merit: Talent versus hard work legitimacy. Social Forces, 102(3), 861–879. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/soad131

Kandpal, E. (2025, September). A Populism That’s Really of the People? Poverty, Protest, and Regime Collapse in South Asia. Center for Global Development. https://www.cgdev.org/blog/populism-thats-really-people-poverty-protest-and-regime-collapse-south-asia

Laycock, D. (2019). Populism in Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/populism

Molloy, D. (2018, March 6). What is populism, and what does the term actually mean?. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-43301423

Sandel, M. J. (2021, January). The myth of meritocracy. Harvard Gazette. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/01/the-myth-of-meritocracy-according-to-michael-sandel/

York University. (2025, April 1). What is populism?. Observatory of Populism in Canada. https://www.yorku.ca/research/robarts/observatory-populism/what-is-populism/