Populism has become one of the most widely used terms in contemporary politics, particularly since 2016, a year that saw Britain vote to leave the EU (“Brexit”) and the election of Donald Trump in the US.
Yet as a concept, populism is subject to many differing uses, as well as significant debate and polarization.
- What exactly is populism and how does it differ from other political phenomena (e.g., nativism, fascism, authoritarianism)?
- What causes populism to emerge and gain strength in particular times and places?
- What does populism look like in practice, and how can it be reliably measured?
- What are the implications of populism for democracy, rights, and other societal outcomes?
Obtaining clear answers to these questions is especially challenging in Canada, where, until recently, a pervasive tale of “exceptionalism” insisted populism had not arisen as a significant political force. Yet the recent ascent of parties, leaders, and movements that use populist rhetoric to mobilize Canadians’ votes and approval suggests an urgent need to rethink that understanding.
This is the motivating objective of the Observatory of Populism in Canada.
Our core mission is to generate, support, and showcase robust empirical and theoretical research that elucidates populism’s role in Canadian society. Rather than promote a singular agenda, the Observatory is a multi-disciplinary hub through which researchers, media, and the interested public can:
- discover populism’s many meanings and dimensions,
- connect with experts on populism in Canada,
- learn from the most recent studies on Canadian populism through our database of populism literature and research briefs,
- access real-time data on the nature and prevalence of populist ideas, discourses, and strategies in Canadian political life through our #X(Twitter)Meter.
The Observatory is connected to, and partially funded by, the York Research Chair in Populism, Rights, and Legality.
Latest
Populism and Digital Strategy: Comparing the Use of Hashtags in MPs’ X (Twitter) Discourses on Inflation by Isabel I. Krakoff and Rémi Vivès - February 26, 2024
The Alberta Sovereignty Act and Albertan Political Culture: A New Direction, or More of the Same? by Jacob McLean and Emily Laxer - November 15, 2023
#TruckersNotTrudeau: How the "Freedom Convoy" Transformed Pierre Poilievre's Presence and Popularity on X(Twitter) by Rémi Vivès, Emily Laxer, and Efe Peker - September 25, 2023.
Inflation, in Search of a Culprit: Comparing Uses of #Justinflation and #Greedflation by Canadian Federal MPs on X(Twitter) by Emily Laxer, Rémi Vivès, and Efe Peker - September 1, 2023
Who Cares about Populism? Tracking Public Interest in "Populism in Canada" through Google Searches by Efe Peker, Rémi Vivès, and Emily Laxer - August 15, 2023.