Populism in Policymaking: A Threat to Democracy?

Abstract

This case study examines the elements found in populist governance and the impact these have on controlling and use of divisive and non-participatory approaches in policymaking process. The research measures the degree to which efforts were made by the government or ruling regime to consider minority or opposition interests and actively engage a representative proportion of the population in the policymaking aspect of the democratic process. In this regard, the case of the Republic of Armenia (RA) is used to analyze the current regime’s governance and policymaking approaches and to identify major deviations, if any, from democratic principles and standards. Through the analysis of speeches and data collected from interviews, the case study identifies and explains the populist characteristics of the policymaking process practiced by the current regime, from agenda setting to implementation and evaluation.