Viva la Elección? On the Left Populist Strategy for Democratic Socialism

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2022-06-24
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en
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This thesis critically reflects on the work of Chantal Mouffe regarding democratic socialism. Although Mouffe claims that socialism makes up a vital part of her left populist strategy, it is somewhat unclear what exact kind of socialism she envisions. By differentiating democratic socialism from authoritarian socialism and social democracy, and comparing Mouffe’s preferred system of socialism to these three models, this thesis arrives at three major points of critique. First of all, the left populist alliance between heterogenous struggles against a common adversary is unstable, and therefore in constant need of the powerful presence of this adversary. Secondly, Mouffe’s focus on the electoral path to socialism limits her effectiveness. Lastly, if her strategy overcomes these difficulties, the socialism she wants to see implemented seems to be more in line with the historical experience of social democracy. Still, Mouffe provides socialist theorists with some important insights, and it is through her work that we can arrive at an alternative strategy. Keywords: left populism, democratic socialism, socialist strategy, agonistic democracy, Mouffe
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen
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