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Populism and Civil Society
Author:
Mr. Tito Boeri
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Ms. Prachi Mishra
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Mr. Chris Papageorgiou
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Mr. Antonio Spilimbergo
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Series:
IMF Working Papers
Volume/Issue:
Volume 2018: Issue 245
Language:
English
Publication Date:
16 Nov 2018
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5089/9781484382356.001
ISBN:
9781484382356
ISSN:
1018-5941
Pages:
42
Keywords:
WP; populist vote; political party; crisis party discipline; Democracy; voting; populist parties; associations; Europe; Latin America; populist ideology; Manichean view; populist regime; understanding populism; populist discourse; populist movement; Labor unions; Personal income; Civil society; Global financial crisis of 2008-2009; Global
Legal-disclaimer:
IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.
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Populists claim to be the only legitimate representative of the people. Does it mean that there is no space for civil society? The issue is important because since Tocqueville (1835), associations and civil society have been recognized as a key factor in a healthy liberal democracy. We ask two questions: 1) do individuals who are members of civil associations vote less for populist parties? 2)does membership in associations decrease when populist parties are in power? We answer thesequestions looking at the experiences of Europe, which has a rich civil society tradition, as well as of Latin America, which already has a long history of populists in power. The main findings are that individuals belonging to associations are less likely by 2.4 to 4.2 percent to vote for populist parties, which is large considering that the average vote share for populist parties is from 10 to 15 percent. The effect is strong particularly after the global financial crisis, with the important caveat that membership in trade unions has unclear effects.
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Cover IMF Working Papers
IMF Working Papers
ISSN:
1018-5941
Publisher:
International Monetary Fund
Volume 2018: Issue 245