populist
Champion of masses
Populist describes political movements or figures claiming to represent ordinary people against a corrupt elite.
The term is ideologically flexible—populists appear on both left and right, united by appeals to "the people" versus "the establishment." A populist candidate campaigns against Washington insiders; populist policies promise to return power to regular citizens.
The noun identifies someone who takes this stance: He ran as a populist.
Critics use the term to suggest demagoguery or oversimplification.
One who stirs dissent
- firebrandAgitator or burning stick
- demagogueManipulative populist leader
- provocateurOne who deliberately incites
- instigatorOne who provokes action
troublemaker · radical · revolutionary · dissident · insurgent · militant · rebel · subversive
Over half of total
- mainstreamDominant cultural current
- multitudeVery large number
- publicAvailable to all
- citizensMembers of a nation
working-class · ordinary · everyday · average · heartland · forgotten · disenfranchised · underdog
Top competitor, or advocate
- supporterOne who backs another
- backerFinancial supporter
- defenderOne who guards another
- spokespersonAuthorized representative communicator
campaigner · promoter · ally · sympathizer · endorser · upholder · patron · booster
Ballot-casting citizen
- ballotVoting document
- candidatePerson seeking selection
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
- electionOrganized public voting
suffrage · referendum · plebiscite · primary · turnout · landslide · mandate · stump
Political manipulation through emotion
- sloganeeringReliance on pithy phrases
- oratoryFormal eloquent discourse
- propagandaBiased information for influence
- fearmongeringDeliberately spreading exaggerated threats
scapegoating · polarization · oversimplification · charisma · appeal · manipulation · emotive · nationalism
Organized resistance to power
- surgeSudden powerful increase
- groundswellGrowing public sentiment
- waveOscillating motion through medium
- backlashStrong negative reaction
revolt · insurgence · awakening · resurgence · momentum · realignment · shift · phenomenon
Collective of connected people
- localOf this area
- volunteersUnpaid willing workers
- organizingSystematically putting in order
- door-to-doorDirectly between residences
neighborhood · bottom-up · participatory · collective · cooperative · residents · engagement · decentralized
To make different
- transformationThorough change in form
- overhaulComplete systematic repair
- anti-establishmentOpposing dominant institutions
- anti-eliteOpposing ruling classes
revolution · restructuring · shake-up · upheaval · disruption · correction · redistribution · accountability
rabble-rouser
One who stirs dissent
- firebrandAgitator or burning stick
- demagogueManipulative populist leader
- provocateurOne who deliberately incites
instigator · troublemaker · radical · revolutionary · dissident · insurgent · militant · rebel · subversive · fomenter
majority
Over half of total
- mainstreamDominant cultural current
- multitudeVery large number
- publicAvailable to all
citizens · working-class · ordinary · everyday · average · heartland · forgotten · disenfranchised · underdog · have-nots
champion
Top competitor, or advocate
spokesperson · campaigner · promoter · ally · sympathizer · endorser · upholder · patron · booster · apologist
voter
Ballot-casting citizen
election · suffrage · referendum · plebiscite · primary · turnout · landslide · mandate · stump · canvassing
demagogy
Political manipulation through emotion
- sloganeeringReliance on pithy phrases
- oratoryFormal eloquent discourse
- propagandaBiased information for influence
fearmongering · scapegoating · polarization · oversimplification · charisma · appeal · manipulation · emotive · nationalism · xenophobia
uprising
Organized resistance to power
- surgeSudden powerful increase
- groundswellGrowing public sentiment
- waveOscillating motion through medium
backlash · revolt · insurgence · awakening · resurgence · momentum · realignment · shift · phenomenon · trend
community
Collective of connected people
- localOf this area
- volunteersUnpaid willing workers
- organizingSystematically putting in order
door-to-door · neighborhood · bottom-up · participatory · collective · cooperative · residents · engagement · decentralized · empowerment
change
To make different
- transformationThorough change in form
- overhaulComplete systematic repair
- anti-establishmentOpposing dominant institutions
anti-elite · revolution · restructuring · shake-up · upheaval · disruption · correction · redistribution · accountability · transparency
- politicalconservative, liberal, moderate, centrist, leftist
- public figurespolitician, celebrity, activist, journalist, pundit
- political ideologiesconservatism, conservative, anarchism, liberalism, liberal
- Political Ideologistssocialist, communist, anarchist, Marxist, leftist
- political labelsliberal, conservative, leftist, rightist, moderate
- political peopleactivist, advocate, politician, voter, partisan
populistelitist
One favoring the privileged
elitism · technocrat · establishment · aristocrat · patrician
populistestablishmentarian
Supporter of official institutions
establishment · institutionalist · insider · traditionalist · conservative
- populist leaderPolitician courting common people
- populist movementPolitical drive for masses
- populist rhetoricSpeech appealing to ordinary citizens