Nationalism and Populism are distinct yet overlapping ideologies. Nationalism focuses on national identity and unity, while populism emphasizes a divide between 'the people' and 'the elite'. Both can be used to justify certain policies, and both have the potential to be beneficial or detrimental to democracy depending on the specific context and implementation.
| Attribute | Nationalism | Populism |
|---|---|---|
| Core ideology | Nationalism is an ideology centered on the idea that the individual's loyalty and devotion to the nation-state surpass other individual or group interests. It emphasizes the importance of national identity, unity, and independence. The nation should be congruent with the state. | Thin-centered ideology, divides society into 'pure people' and 'corrupt elite', anti-establishment, anti-political, attaches to broader movements, moralistic. |
| View of national identity | National identity is a sense of belonging to a nation, shaped by shared characteristics like culture, language, history, and traditions. It can be based on shared social characteristics such as culture, ethnicity, geographic location, language, politics, religion, traditions and belief in a shared singular history. It can range from a narrow ethnic identity to a broader civic identity. | Idealizes the nation, unique, singular, exclusive, right-wing emphasizes ethno-nationalist terms, cultural populists see cultural outsiders as a threat. |
| Relationship with elites | Elites may use nationalist sentiments to legitimize state power. Nationalist groups can secure control and have influence on foreign policy, ideological objectives come to the forefront. | Moral opposition between virtuous people and corrupt elite, elites defined economically, politically, culturally, or ethnically. |
| Economic policies | Economic nationalism prioritizes state intervention in the economy. Policies include domestic control and tariffs and restrictions on labor, goods, and capital movement. It emphasizes industrialization and self-sufficiency. | Transfers resources to middle/lower income, rejects restraints on economic policy, short-term focus, denial of budget constraints, failure to evaluate trade-offs. |
| Cultural views | Cultural nationalism focuses on reviving and promoting a national community's culture, identity, history, and destiny. It emphasizes the importance of preserving and promoting national culture, language, and traditions. | Favors a particular race, nationality, religion, sect, or class (especially natives), emphasizes religious traditionalism, law and order, and sovereignty, rejects pluralism and cultural diversity. |
| Role of the state | Nationalism sees the state as a vehicle for social interests, forming national policies based on the majority culture, religion, or ethnicity. The state should be congruent with the nation. | Emphasizes the 'common people', aims to defend the interests and maximize the power of ordinary citizens, often through reform. |
| Attitude towards globalization | Economic nationalists generally oppose globalization, favoring protectionism and self-sufficiency. | Depicts globalization and international trade as processes where large portions of the domestic population lose out, imposes tariffs, erects barriers to foreign investment. |
| Use of rhetoric | Nationalist rhetoric is used to justify the erosion of democratic checks and balances and the exclusion of minority groups. | Moral opposition, simple, direct language, polarizing emotional style, centered on grievance and distrust. |
| Historical examples | French Revolution: Emphasized rational faith in common humanity and liberal progress. Unification of Italy and Germany: United regional states with a common national identity. Post-Colonial Nationalism: Newly independent states sought to control domestic economies. | Populist Movement in the US in the 1890s, Hip 3lito Yrigoyen in Argentina, Huey Long, George Wallace, Ross Perot, Sarah Palin, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders in the United States. |
| Impact on democracy | Nationalism can both support and undermine democracy. It can provide cultural and political cohesion necessary for democratic governance, but can also lead to exclusionary practices. | Can be both a threat and a benefit, can undermine liberal democratic institutions, weaken checks and balances, erode democratic dialogue, can be a democratizing force. |
| Relationship with other ideologies | Nationalism can be combined with various ideologies, such as conservatism, socialism, or liberalism. | 'Thin-centered', anti-liberal, right-wing populism and fascism relate to nationalism. |
| Level of centralization | Nationalism can be internally unifying and externally divisive. | Seeks to centralize authority, weaken checks and balances. |
| Pros | National unity, Cultural preservation, Promotion of national interests, Can provide cultural and political cohesion necessary for democratic governance | Gives voice to the masses, Can inspire regime change, Increased political participation, Addresses concerns of marginalized groups |
| Cons | Exclusion of minorities, Suppression of dissent, Potential for conflict with other nations, Exclusion, Xenophobia, Potential for authoritarianism, Can lead to the suppression of individual rights, Justification of violence in the name of the nation | Undermines liberal democratic institutions, Erosion of minority rights, Economic instability, Erosion of democratic dialogue, compromise, and mutual respect, Can lead to protectionist trade policies, Undermines international cooperation, Anti-democratic, Undermines the rule of law, Can lead to the 'tyranny of the majority' |