Decoding the rise of populism in US and European politics

This year has seen the results of a surge in populist politics in US and European politics. Although populism has been one of the most discussed terms describing current politics on both sides of the atlantic, it remains a highly ambiguous concept and needs a clear definition. What are the implication of populism on democracy? Should it be regarded as a style of politics or as an ideology? How critical is the usage of language as an effective political communication tool? What implications have Brexit and Trump’s victory for upcoming political events worldwide?

Following the success of our inaugural debate on Eritrea in November 2016, we are pleased to welcome Marina Prentoulis and Robert Singh to lead the debate at our second discussion.

Marina Prentoulis is a Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of East Anglia and UK representative of Syriza. She completed her PhD in Ideologies and Discourse Analysis at the Department of Government, University of Essex. She has lectured in a number of universities including City University, Open University and University of Middlesex. She has been an Honorary Visiting Fellow at the Graduate Centre of Journalism, School of Arts, City university, London (2009-2012). Since 2015 she has been appearing on British and international media as an expert on the Greek government negotiations with the EU.

Robert Singh is a Professor of Politics at Birkbeck. His main research interest is the politics of US foreign policy, but he has also written extensively on domestic US politics, from the politics of gun control and capital punishment to the politics of race. Rob is the author, co-author or editor of ten books and is currently researching and writing an eleventh on the politics of partisan polarisation and contemporary US foreign policy.
The goal of this new series is to discuss and gain a better understanding of topics in world affairs. We will give the opportunity to share insights in international issues with an expert on the topic in a smaller, more intimate style.