Abstract
AbstractThis study presents a new theoretical framework for understanding one of the ways in which populists generate support in elections. It argues that populist movements securitize elections by triggering perceptions of ontological insecurity among voters. Through this strategy, populist movements amplify voters’ negative image of the country they live in and the challenges they face, which contributes to populist movements’ electoral success. Building upon this theoretical framework, this study offers an explanation for the 2015 double general elections in Turkey. The Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP) experienced disappointment after losing its parliamentary majority in the June 2015 elections. However, the AKP increased its votes by 8.6 percent in the November 2015 elections. Between these two elections, the AKP had used the Kurdish question to trigger perceptions of ontological insecurity, which enabled it to securitize the elections in November. This strategy helped the AKP win the November elections.
Highlights
The populist phenomenon has been in ascendance throughout the world, which causes democratic backsliding1 even in consolidated democracies
Populist movements amplify voters’ negative image of the country they live in and the challenges they face, which contributes to populist movements’ electoral success. Building upon this theoretical framework, this study offers an explanation for the 2015 double general elections in Turkey
This study focuses on the 2015 double general elections in Turkey
Summary
The populist phenomenon has been in ascendance throughout the world, which causes democratic backsliding even in consolidated democracies. Populist movements erode the democratic regime with their Manichean view of society, distaste for checks and balances, and intolerance of dissent.. The literature, requires more research on strategies by which populist movements come. Author’s Note: The author would like to thank Sema Akboga, Harun Ercan, and Erdem Yoruk for their critical comments. The author would like to thank Umut Korkut and Marcus Nicolson for the insights they provided in the early stages of this article. This study focuses on securitization of elections as a particular populist strategy. It demonstrates how populists securitize elections by triggering perceptions of ontological insecurity among the people to generate support in the elections
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