The Birth of Populist Politics

“Unmet expectations generate a mood of betrayal and resentment. People lose faith in politics and politicians, perhaps rightly so. That is when potentially dangerous phenomena begin to appear: riots, anger, violence, and widespread cynicism about the value of democratic freedom. People begin to turn to ‘strong’ leaders who mobilise public anger to attack elites in the name of the people. That is how populist politics is born.”

Morality, Chapter 8, p. 127