Populism and Foreign Policy Dynamics
Summary
Populism has emerged as a pivotal force reshaping state conduct on the world stage. Defined by core appeals to anti-elitism and people-centrism, it interacts with thicker ideological commitments and institutional frameworks to produce varied foreign policy outcomes. Populist leaders often centralise decision-making, personalise diplomatic engagement and employ crisis-oriented rhetoric to justify exceptional measures. While some administrations display scepticism towards multilateral organisations, others instrumentally engage them to bolster national sovereignty narratives. Empirical work emphasises that procedural innovations—such as the personalisation of foreign policy apparatuses and the strategic use of symbolic confrontations—may exert greater influence than shifts in long-term strategic interests. The diversity of populist foreign policies reflects how a thin-centred populist ethos melds with domestic economic pragmatism, geopolitical positioning and prevailing regional dynamics. Understanding these interactions is essential for anticipating how populist actors will navigate global challenges and influence norms of trade, security and multilateral cooperation.
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Populism and Foreign Policy Dynamics publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in populism and foreign policy dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Populism: A political approach combining anti-elitism and people-centrism as core elements of its ideology.
Thin-centred ideology: An ideology with a minimal core of concepts (such as anti-elitism) requiring attachment to a thicker set of beliefs for full articulation.
Thick ideology: A comprehensive political belief system (e.g., nationalism, socialism) that provides substantive policy content around which a thin-centred ideology can coalesce.
Multilateralism: A mode of international cooperation in which three or more states work jointly in institutions or agreements to address global challenges.
Personalisation of foreign policy: The concentration of diplomatic initiative and decision-making authority in a single leader or small leadership circle.
References
- Populism and the liberal international order: An analysis of UN voting patterns. The Review of International Organizations (2024).
- Populist (de)legitimation of international organizations. International Affairs (2023).
- Does Populism Matter in EU–China Relations? The Cases of Italy and Czechia. JCMS Journal of Common Market Studies (2024).
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