Discuss the Concept of 'Populism' and its Relevance to the Interpretation of the Political Changes Accompanying Latin American Inward Oriented Industrialisation.
Examine the Cases of Different Countries.
The concept of populism refers to the political activities or political ideas that are based on the interests and opinions of ordinary people. These interests and opinions usually include the wants and fears of the populous and are used by members of the political stratum to attain political success. Populism in Latin America has varied considerable throughout the years and has always seemed to go hand in hand with the nature of export development as well as the amount of urban and industrial development that each respective country experiences. Unlike populism else where in the world, Latin American populism is very urban focused and usually rests upon export oriented economies and the want of the people to expand their own countries economic development. Such a situation will indefinitely lead to a growth in the working classes within the industrial and urban sectors of society.
Whilst reading on and about populism within the countries of Latin America I found its overall definition quite an ambiguous one. A classic accountant of populism in Latin America describes it as a "phenomenon combining a particular form of ideology with certain organisations and structural features." In other words we can break this down by saying that the classical definition of populism sees it has having a charismatic leader with an ideological view point and agenda which appeals to a large proportion of the masses. The ideology will usually consist of social reforms and nationalism and as with most particular strains of populism will concentrate on economic reform and welfare. The opposing view to this definition of populism in Latin America comes from a more scientific analysis of the word.