Framing "The Elite": The Shift from People-Centrism to Anti-Elitism in Populist Political Communication
In: Zeitschrift für Politikberatung, Band 8, Heft 4, S. 139-148
Contemporary populist rhetoric seems to have changed its focus. Though many definitions of populism exist, it can often be identified less as an ideology, and more as a populist political style. Part of that style is framing an antagonism between "the people" and "the elites". In doing so, populists construct the categories "the people" and "the elites". Since the American electorate has become increasingly pluralized, framing "the people" as a unified, homogenous group has become more difficult. In order to reach audiences more effectively, populists have adapted their strategy, focusing increasingly on framing "the elite", rather than "the people", as a way of unifying audiences against a common enemy. While there are different approaches to react to populists' frames, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy due to populism's complex and context-dependent nature. Engaging with populist actors and supporters in dialogue is, albeit challenging, the most promising strategy to understand and address their concerns in order to integrate them into the democratic system.