Explaining the Causes of the Expansion of Populism in the World (Case Study: Iran)

Abstract

Using a descriptive research method, this study analyzes the causes of the expansion of populism in the world, with a specific focus on Iran. The results indicate that the hypothesis is confirmed, suggesting that class disparity and the unequal distribution of wealth provide the groundwork for the emergence of populism in developing countries, including Iran. In this regard, populism, meaning mass-oriented politics or demagoguery, is a strategy of advocating for or pretending to advocate for the rights and interests of the general public against elites. Political populism, in essence, involves the instrumentalization of the people to achieve political objectives, posing a risk to Iran given its current economic and political conditions. Populism is a political doctrine and strategy that involves supporting or appearing to support the rights and interests of the general public against elite groups. In the twentieth century, most "populist" movements were associated with Latin America and India. However, since the 1980s, such movements have also achieved varying degrees of success in countries such as Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and the United States. Class disparity and the unequal distribution of wealth have contributed to the formation of populist governments and even social movements in developing countries, including Iran. Furthermore, capitalist and advanced societies in Europe and the United States have witnessed the emergence and rapid expansion of populism in recent years, which, to some extent, represents a response to the declining living standards of the working class and the tensions between modernity and democratic institutions.