Beyond the Threat: Rousseau, Mouffe, and the conditions for just populism in liberal democracy
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2025-07-25
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en
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Populism, a movement that claims to represent the ‘pure people’ and distinguishes them from the ‘corrupt elite’, is seen as a threat to liberal democracy in the dominant discourse. However, recent academic debate has opened more space for viewing populism as a possible signal of a lack of legitimacy in liberal democracy as a system. Liberal democracy suffers from low trust in institutions, a weak sense of responsiveness of political governance and a declining political engagement. Populists also appeal to this democratic legitimacy by claiming to represent 'the pure people'. Drawing on the democratic theories of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Chantal Mouffe, this study formulates nine conditions under which populism does not threaten liberal democracy but can strengthen its democratic legitimacy. It distinguishes between agonistic and antagonistic populism. While both may signal a legitimacy deficit in liberal democracy, only agonistic populism can strengthen its legitimacy by contributing to plurality, democratic involvement and inclusiveness.
This study offers an alternative to the dominant discourse in political theory, which views populism and liberal democracy as fundamentally opposed, by offering a conditional framework for the just integration of populism and liberal democracy.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen