Populism is a political approach that emphasizes the idea of "the people" and often juxtaposes this group with "the elite". It is a tactic that has been used around the world since at least the nineteenth century to gain and maintain power. Populists claim to speak in the name of the "oppressed people" and want to emancipate them by making them aware of their oppression, but they do not want to change their values or their "way of life". Populism is often associated with charismatic and dominant leaders, and the populist leader is "the quintessential form of populist mobilization".

Populism can be perceived as either left-wing or right-wing, and it is difficult to definitively characterize it. However, one helpful definition describes it as "reflecting a deep suspicion of the prevailing establishment, which is believed to conspire against the people instead of working in their interests". Populists believe that the people, however defined, are the "true repositories of the soul of the nation".

Populism is often used as a political insult, and the term is generally misused, especially in a European context. Populist parties can be anywhere on the political spectrum, and the term has become flexible and poses the question of whether it has any useful meaning. Populism is versatile and is made of negatives, whether it is anti-politics, anti-intellectualism, or anti-elite.

In summary, populism is a political approach that emphasizes the idea of "the people" and often juxtaposes this group with "the elite." It is often associated with charismatic and dominant leaders, and it can be perceived as either left-wing or right-wing. Populists claim to speak in the name of the "oppressed people" and want to emancipate them by making them aware of their oppression, but they do not want to change their values or their "way of life."