This course explores the topical phenomenon of populism from a sociological perspective. Topics covered include:
1) What is populism? Politics offers the most common definition of populism today: social movements and parties that claim to be 'of the people' and 'against the elite'. But is this sufficient?
2) Populism, class and producerism: how does populism mobilise traditional markers of working class belonging while simplifying or distorting the actual stratifications of class today;
3) The role of gender and racial backlash: how are gender, sexual and racial minorities constituted as enemies of the people;
4) Populism and neoliberalism: the relationship between populist backlash and free market neoliberalism, from Thatcher and Reagan to today;
5) Populism of the left and right: what distinguishes populism from mainstream politics and how is it mobilised by both the left and right.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- understand key definitions of populism as political and social phenomenon;
- recognize and engage with key concepts and debates in the field of populism studies;
- recognize and engage with key theorists in the field; and
- intervene in debates on populism be developing their own critical perspectives.
Indicative Assessment
- Short essay, 1500 words (40) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Long essay, 3000 words (50) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Tutorial participation, weekly (10) [LO 2,3,4]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:
a) 36 hours of contact: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorials and tutorial-like activities; and
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Links to Readings will be provided on the course Wattle site and Library ebrick.
Preliminary Reading
Margaret Canovan, Populism, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1981.
Agnieszka Graff and Elzbieta Korolczuk. Anti-Gender Politics in the Populist Moment, London: Routledge, 2022.
Stuart Hall. Selected Political Writings: The Great Moving Right Show and Other Essays, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2017.
Michael Kazin. The Populist Persuasion: An American History, New York: Basic Books, 1995.
Cas Mudde and Cristobal Rovira Kaltwasser. Populism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017.
Jan-Werner Müller. What is Populism? Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016. 41-74.
Carlos de la Torre, ed. Routledge Handbook of Global Populism. London: Routledge, 2018.
Cristobal Rovira Kaltwasser, Paul A. Taggart, Paulina Ochoa Espejo, Pierre Ostiguy, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Populism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4320 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $5580 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4203 | 17 Feb 2025 | 24 Feb 2025 | 31 Mar 2025 | 23 May 2025 | In Person | N/A |