Right-Wing and Left-Wing Populism: A Comparative Analysis of Rhetoric, Ideology, and Policy Practices

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 2025 Sayı: 2, 175 - 196, 27.10.2025

Mesut Can Akçay

https://doi.org/10.56337/sbm.1735311

Öz

This study focuses on populism’s rhetoric, target audience, and policy practices. The aim of the study is to analyze the differences and commonalities in the rhetoric, target audience, and ideological foundations of both right-wing and left-wing populism. In this context, both types of populism are systematically compared in terms of their discursive, ideological, and common dynamics. Drawing on theoretical discussions in the populism literatüre, this study also seeks to develop a conceptual framework for right-wing and left-wing populism. The main method of the study, which utilizes qualitative data collection techniques, is theoretical-comparative analysis. Additionally, sysematic literature analysis and qualitative content analysis were utilized for daya classification, while qualitative-descriptive analysis was used for data evaluation. The main findings of the study are as follows: The flexible nature of populism becomes evident in the ideology, rhetoric, and target audience elements of both right-wing and left-wing populism. While populist actors ideological foundations, rhetoric, and target audience manifest in their attitudes towards globalization and economic approaches, the differences between rigth-wing and left-wing populism become more pronounced. In both types of populism, charismatic leadership, anti-elitism, anti-establishment, and the politics of simplicity stand out as common dynamics.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Populism , Right-Wing Populism , Left-Wing Populism , Populist parties , Populist Leadership

Sağ ve Sol Popülizm: Retorik, İdeoloji ve Politika Pratikleri Üzerine Karşılaştırmalı Bir Analiz

Öz

Bu çalışma popülizmin retorik, hedef kitle ve politika pratiklerine odaklanmaktadır. Çalışmanın amacı sağ ve sol popülizmin; retorik, hedef kitle ve ideolojik temellerindeki farklılık ve ortak unsurların analiz edilmesidir. Bu bağlamda her iki popülizm türü söylemsel, ideolojik ve ortak dinamikler açısından sistematik bir şekilde karşılaştırılmıştır. Çalışmada popülizm literatüründeki teorik tartışmalardan hareket edilerek sağ ve sol popülizm için kavramsal bir çerçeve geliştirilmesi hedeflenmektedir. Nitel veri toplama tekniklerinden yararlanılan çalışmanın ana yöntemi teorik-karşılaştırmalı analizdir. Bununla birlikte sistematik literatür analizi ve verilerin sınıflandırılmasında nitel içerik analizi yönteminden; verilerin değerlendirilmesinde ise nitel-betimsel analiz yönteminden yararlanılmıştır. Bu bilgiler ışığında çalışmada ulaşılan başlıca bulgular şu şekildedir: Popülizmin esnek doğası sağ ve sol popülizmin ideoloji, retorik ve hedef kitle unsurlarında belirginlik kazanmaktadır. Popülist aktörlerin ideolojik temelleri retorik ve hedef kitle, küreselleşmeye karşı tutum ve ekonomik yaklaşımlarda ortaya çıkarken sağ ve sol popülizm arasındaki farklılıklar belirginleşmektedir. Her iki popülizm türünde karizmatik liderlik, antielitizm, antikurumsallık ve basitlik siyaseti ortak dinamikler olarak dikkat çekmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Popülizm , Sağ Popülizm , Sol Popülizm , Popülist Partiler , Popülist Liderlik

Kaynakça

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