Redefining Populism: An Introduction

Over the last two decades, populist movements have gained momentum across the world. Journalists and scholars document the realities of these movements and the leaders who have risen to power from a Western world perspective. Their definitions used to explain populism consider the movements in Europe and North America but forget to include the rising populist influences in the East, particular Southeast Asia. Over the last decade, populist leaders in this region have allowed for the spread of horrendous human rights violations.

The purpose of this project is to show how populism has contributed to a rise in human rights violations. Populism can be broken down and defined very differently depending on which countries scholars study. Visit the Defining Populism page to understand how populism is being defined for this study’s purpose. For time concerns, this study will direct its focus to Southeast Asia to examine four different countries in depth. To browse the countries and understand their connections to populism, explore the interactive map below.