THE IMPACT OF POPULIST POLITICAL PARTIES ON DEMOCRACY IN THE XX–XXI CENTURIES

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the problem of populism in modern party and political systems of the world and the study of its impact on democracy. The peculiarities of populist parties are determined: the lack of a clear ideology; opportunity to act in a wide ideological spectrum; drawing attention to the most acute problems of society; populist protests against elites and a simultaneous desire to take their place, and so on. Researchers have found economic (vulnerability of the population through crises; middle class growth; globalization and loss of national control over major political decisions, etc.) and political (crisis of representation of major political parties; more politically aware and mobilized middle class population with high expectations of democracy, political growth, mobilization, protest activity, fragmentation and polarization of the public sphere and politics with the support of social media, transformation of political culture, etc.) factors of growing populism. Researchers have identified the dangers of populism for democracy, as populists often interpret popular support in elections as a mandate that allows them to ignore or disrespect the institutions of democracy. This leads to the usurpation of power by democratically elected governments and the weakening of democratic institutions. The article found that GSoD indices provide empirical evidence of the weakening and undermining of democracy by populist-led governments. These indicators confirm the assumptions about the danger of populism for civil liberties, which underlie the functioning of the media, civil society and the public sphere. The article analyzes the relationship between populism and democratic retreat and finds that low levels of state support for democracy are associated with an increased likelihood of retreat.