Populists in Power

Summary:

The main area of sustained populist growth in recent decades has been Western Europe, where populist parties have not only endured longer than expected, but have increasingly begun to enter government. Focusing on three high-profile cases in Italy and Switzerland – the Popolo della Libertà (PDL), Lega Nord (LN) and Schweizerische Volkspartei (SVP) – Populists in Power is the first in-depth comparative study to examine whether these parties are indeed doomed to failure in office as many commentators have claimed.

Albertazzi and McDonnell’s findings run contrary to much of the received wisdom. Based on extensive original research and fieldwork, they show that populist parties can be built to last, can achieve key policy victories and can survive the experience of government, without losing the support of either the voters or those within their parties.

Table of Contents:

• Chapter 1 | From periphery to power: populists in Western Europe
• Chapter 2 | Forza Italia and the Popolo della Libertà
• Chapter 3 | The Lega Nord
• Chapter 4 | The Schweizerische Volkspartei
• Chapter 5 | Elections
• Chapter 6 | Pledges vs actions in government
• Chapter 7 | Members' and representatives' reactions to government participation
• Chapter 8 | Populists and power