The Concept of Populism: Between the Aspirations of Opponents and the Manipulations of Authoritarian Regimes

Malika Sahel and Djamila Benmoussa
Department of English, the High College for Teachers (E.n.s.b), Algiers, Algeria

Abstract

Many contemporary researchers differed in defining the concept of the term “populism” because of unclear concepts that this term carries. It is initially referred to a group of political positions that emphasize the idea of the people- the elite- then it later developed to include every political movement or party or leader. And since this term was used to express many phenomena, studies found that it was misused, and it no longer meant what could be expressed by the opponents or the ruling regimes. Therefore, the term populism has often been used by the press as a slogan to express modern political or social movements, rulers and institutions rooted in democratic beliefs, that is, by using it in a pejorative way to strengthen the reputation of the opponents. In fact, through this apparent inconsistency in defining the term populism, one can wonder if it cannot be considered as a double-edged sword, that is, by using it by the opposition elite when expressing their demands, and by the ruling regimes when expressing their repressive policies and rejecting the demands of the people. Keywords: Populism, People, Positions, Parties, Movements, Elite, Democracy, Opposition, Ruling Regimes, Liberation, Oppression, Socialism.

Presentation