Not Another Politics Podcast The Economic Cost of Populism
28 snips
Oct 30, 2025 Christoph Trebesch, a Professor of Economics at Kiel University, shares his insights on the global rise of populism and its economic repercussions. He highlights how populist governments are linked to slower GDP growth, undermined democratic institutions, and increased vulnerability to future populism. Trebesch contrasts left and right populism, discussing their distinct policy focuses. He also examines the mechanisms behind lower economic performance, such as policy unpredictability and institutional damage, providing a compelling look at populism's complex legacy.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Populism As A Rhetorical Strategy
- Populism is defined as rhetorical us-vs-them politics that pits 'true people' against a corrupt elite.
- This thin, cross-ideological strategy appears across regions and eras and is measurable historically.
Document Coding With High Transparency
- Use strict, transparent coding rules and document decisions to measure fuzzy political concepts robustly.
- Combine expert sources and textual evidence to create defensible historical datasets.
Populism Is Rare But Rising And Serial
- Only 3.4% of leaders in their 60-country sample are clear-cut populists, yet 25% of countries are currently governed by them.
- Populism has risen to an all-time high and tends to be serial within countries.