TITLE:
Populism Poses a Threat to International Security
AUTHORS:
Xinyue Zhai, Youyou Xu
KEYWORDS:
Populism, Cultural Backlash, Anti-Globalization
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Political Science,
Vol.10 No.3,
July
9,
2020
ABSTRACT: The unprecedented economic growth in the 21th century could be largely attributed
to a relatively peaceful international order following the collapse of the
bipolar world order. However, contemporary populist backlash has threatened the
international security, rendering the extant peace more and more fragile. This
article aims to evaluate and explain certain threats posed by populism in the west, arguing that the populism, which
challenges incumbent democratic regimes, economic globalization trend as well
as various international institutions, is a serious threat to international
order. A detailed explanation on the impact of populism, as exemplified by
prominent leaders like Boris Johnson and Donald Trump, and by political events such as Brexit substantiates the article’s claims. In conclusion, the
article argues that pan-West populism is on the rise, destabilizing current
liberal governments and international institutions. Several policy
recommendations are made to tackle the populist threats, such as reforming
democratic procedures, implementing moderate redistribution policies, and
rebalancing powers between international institutions and individual member
countries.