National Populism

The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy

By: Roger Eatwell, Matthew Goodwin

Narrated by: Matthew Goodwin

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy, A Pelican Book, written by Roger Eatwell and Matthew Goodwin and read by Matthew Goodwin.

A crucial new guide to one of the most urgent political phenomena of our time: the rise of national populism

Across the West, there is a rising tide of people who feel excluded, alienated from mainstream politics, and increasingly hostile towards minorities, immigrants and neo-liberal economics. Many of these voters are turning to national populist movements, which have begun to change the face of Western liberal democracy, from the United States to France, Austria to the UK.

This radical turn, we are told, is a last howl of rage from an aging electorate on the verge of extinction. Their leaders are fascistic and their politics anti-democratic; their existence a side-show to liberal democracy. But this version of events, as Roger Eatwell and Matthew Goodwin show, could not be further from the truth.

Written by two of the foremost experts on fascism and the rise of national populism, this lucid and deeply-researched book is a vital guide to our transformed political landscape. Challenging conventional wisdoms, Eatwell and Goodwin make a compelling case for serious, respectful engagement with the supporters and ideas of national populism - not least because it is a tide that won't be stemmed anytime soon.

Critic reviews

Compelling ... Eatwell and Goodwin do a good job of demolishing lazy stereotypes about Trump and Brexit supporters being almost exclusively white and old ... Measured and insightful

A fascinating new study ... the authors analyse the long-term demographic and socioeconomic trends shaping our age of upheaval. The attraction of this book lies in its cool, dispassionate tone. The authors intend to explain and inform rather than polemicise (Jason Cowley)

Intelligent, counterintuitive ... [ranging] far beyond Brexit and Britain ... they put a parochial debate in a much bigger context

Valuable ... A finely organised, lucid explanation of the elements presently constituting the most dynamic political movements in Europe and the US (John Lloyd)

A useful corrective... it demolishes the myth that young people aren't attracted to the populist right (Sarah Baxter)

A reality check to any clinging to the hope that populism is a passing political squall ... Goodwin is one of the few academics to be vindicated by the political trends of the past few years. With a forensic grasp of the detail, Eatwell and Goodwin show how commentators have succumbed to "stereotypes that correspond with their outlook" rather than evidence-based conclusions (Asa Bennett)

Convincing, powerful and very definitely worth a read (Robert Colvile, Director of CPS Think Tank)

An important and stimulating book .. well written, well argued, highly accessible to the lay reader, and mercifully free of political science jargon ... it leaves room for optimism for the future of our country (Roger Liddle)

An invaluable guide to the new politics of revolt ... Eatwell and Goodwin draw attention to the historic problem that liberalism has faced in accepting democracy. They give us the theoretical framework to understand national populism's rise ... Compelling (Jon Holbrook)

Informative and often compelling, providing clarity around a number of key debates within political science and political theory [...] Usefully, they provide copious evidence that rightwing populism has been a long time in the making. (Will Davies)

Nuanced and data-backed analysis of populism

Clearly charts the way in which mainstream politics has swung to the right. The authors identify the different strands of anxiety and pushback against the effects of globalisation, and against both neoliberal and progressive left agendas. Rapid societal change and perceived or relative inequality, coupled with political disengagement (both a supply and demand problem), have opened up a gap in which far right groups gain the upper hand by tampering their extreme views and adopting populist outlooks which respond to the concerns of the majority. However in the effort to draw out the nuances - that not all voting along conservative and right wing lines are racist - I do feel the authors also perform a kind of glossy apologetics for social and cultural anxieties that manifest in exceptionalist ways allowing majoritarian denial of the lived reality of other groups in their space.

A well-balanced view

This book provides a well-balanced, non-judgmental view of national populism. It is well researched and draws from a variety national populist movements over the last thirty years. Anyone interested in better understanding current political currents should read.

Very repetitive

The book read like an ok graduate thesis. Very repetitive. The author keeps saying the same thing in every chapter. Seems that he is saying the obvious. The book offers little if any examination of the differences between national populist movements in Europe at the moment. Worst of all is the extremely boring amd monotonous reading.