POPULISM IN BRAZIL (1985-2019): an old concept from a new approach

Author(s)

Paolo Ricci ^[1] ; Mauricio Izumi ^[2] ; Davi Moreira ^[3]

Affiliation

^[1] USP. Departamento de Ciência Política - Brasil

^[2] UFES. Departamento de Ciências Sociais - Brasil

^[3] Centro Brasileiro de Análise e Planejamento - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Revista Brasileira de Ciências Sociais; v. 36, n. 107 2021-06-16.

Abstract

The concept of populism has been criticized in Brazilian social sciences in the last two decades. In this article, we rescue its importance to answer the following question: how populist are Brazilian presidents? In line with the ideational approach, we define populism as a dispute between two homogeneous and antagonistic groups: a “pure people” and a “corrupt elite”. In this context, we used mixed methods to classify 5,823 official statements by presidents from José Sarney to Jair Bolsonaro (1985/2019). The results point to the identification of three populist presidents in the new republic: Collor, Lula and Bolsonaro. Finally, we discuss the differences between the three and affirm that, in Brazil, populism is not, in itself, a threat to democracy. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/23060-2 - Parties, fraud and electoral mobilization between 1889 and 1964
• Grantee: Paolo Ricci
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants