The Perils of Populism

Populism isn’t necessarily bad, but it can be very dangerous. Before touting populism as an unadulterated good, we should consider why that is.

We should view populism the same way we view nationalism: It’s an impulse that is impossible to eradicate, and in appropriate doses, it can be an asset. But the dosage makes the poison. Populism, like nationalism, can be dangerous if imbibed too deeply. The Founding Fathers mistrusted it. So have many of our greatest leaders and thinkers — even those who knew how to summon its energies. William F. Buckley Jr. had a complicated relationship with populism; he found it a useful ally at times, but could never abide the tendency to follow it blindly. As he wrote in 1969, “Populists should be not only expert but enthusiastic at reasoning through to the justification of the people’s demands.”

About the Author

Dan McLaughlin

Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at National Review Institute.

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Populism isn’t necessarily bad, but it can be very dangerous. Before touting populism as an unadulterated good, we should consider why that is.

We should view populism the same way we view nationalism: It’s an impulse that is impossible to eradicate, and in appropriate doses, it can be an asset. But the dosage makes the poison. Populism, like nationalism, can be dangerous if imbibed too deeply. The Founding Fathers mistrusted it. So have many of our greatest leaders and thinkers — even those who knew how to summon its energies. William F. Buckley Jr. had a complicated relationship with populism; he found it a useful ally at times, but could never abide the tendency to follow it blindly. As he wrote in 1969, “Populists should be not only expert but enthusiastic at reasoning through to the justification of the people’s demands.”