Att göra många till en – om populismens logik

Abstract

This article introduces Ernesto Laclau’s theory of populism to Scandinavian rhetorical studies. The need for such an introduction emanates from a current lack of conceptual resources to analyze manifestations of populism as crucial for democratic politics. Laclau’s theory of populism aims to explain the rhetorical processes involved in struggles of political power as well as the conflictual dimension inherent to democractic politics. It is an indispensable perspective for rhetorical scholars interested in political rhetoric in general, as it is relevant for analysis of the entire political spectra, not merely its periphery. The article consists of three parts: First, a review of the literatu-re on populism; Second, a presentation of Laclau’s theory of populism; Third, an example analysis of a liberal-populist movement in Sweden during the 1970’s and 1980’s. Keywords populism, Ernesto Laclau, antagonism, empty signifier, chains of equivalence, affect, political rhetoric