Democratic Populism

The Play

Populism succeeds when it taps into something real: people's desire for a better life. Authoritarian populists only threaten democracy when they have greater appeal than democrats—not to gullible or hateful people, but to decent citizens who want better for their families. Voters, especially swing voters, tend to vote for leaders they trust more on the issues that matter most to them.

Authoritarian populists typically succeed when they are more trusted than democrats on issues that concern people—crime, inequality, immigration, inflation, or culture. Grounded in an "us vs. them" narrative, authoritarian populists target corrupt or out-of-touch elites for dismissing the people while scapegoating small population groups—illegal immigrants, trans people, or religious minorities.

Faced with that, democrats too often fall into the trap and blame larger population groups for problems. Democratic populism corrects that error, recognizing that ordinary people have been denied dignity, voice, and control, while a corrupt few bend the rules in their favor. However, democratic populism is radically inclusive and rooted not in division but in universality.

"The people" are workers, parents, and neighbors. The forces undermining them are corruption, injustice, and the abuse of power. For democratic populism, the "them" is defined as narrowly as possible. It's not, for example, the "rich" but perhaps the "oligarchs," a few corrupt billionaires.

This grand strategy reclaims populism for democracy by putting shared values and a popular agenda at the center. It's about building supermajorities around issues that make a tangible impact on people's lives and uniting around bold, popular solutions—better wages, affordable housing, public safety, and controlled migration—that cut across divides.

Democratic populism curates its focus to electrify and unify as many people as possible. It fights for the people by pushing tangible benefits in their lives, rooted in popular concerns and universal values. It offers a vision and a vibe where no one is excluded, but it is willing to upset some—whether radical activists or powerful establishment interests—to achieve it.

Ultimately, democratic populism reclaims the most powerful force in politics: hope.

Why It Works

• Win on what unites. Focusing on solutions that are both broadly supported and tangibly improve people's daily realities builds trust and shows that democracy serves everyone.
• Challenging the corrupt turns anger into unity. By pointing to corrupt elites and abusive systems, public outrage is directed toward solutions instead of division.
• Reclaiming patriotism disarms exclusivist narratives. By tying pride to dignity and rights for all, national identity turns into a force for inclusion rather than division.
• Speaking plainly makes democracy relatable. Clear, emotional, and human language helps people feel that politics is about the people—not elites.
• Listening first strengthens trust. Meeting voters where they are makes it possible to connect across divides and turn shared concerns into shared causes.

How It Works

1. Listen Deeply to Be a Channel for the Popular Voice

Get outside your echo chambers and listen constantly to people. Analyze good polling and social listening to track how issues are discussed, and use that insight to gauge which concerns matter most and which solutions truly resonate. Identify the unifying "moral clarity" within each issue—even in hot-button or divisive debates. You may find, for example, that most people who want less immigration still want immigrant families to be treated with dignity.

2. Define the People Inclusively

Frame your movement or campaign in the broad "we"—workers, parents, neighbors, farmers, nurses, shopkeepers. Root this shared identity in values, effort, a sense of country, and care for the common cause—not birthplace, religion, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic class, party, or ideology. Democratic populism isn't about 50%+ 1—in spirit, it's about 100%. It defines "the people" as everyone who contributes to society and deserves dignity, voice and fairness.

3. Speak the Way Everyone Does

No jargon. Minimize abstractions. Use clear, straightforward language that gets emotional sometimes—the way you'd speak to your friend or your mom. Keep sentences short and natural. Use metaphors that feel familiar. Make sense in everyday conversation so what you say can "stick" and travel in the conversations of others. If it doesn't land in real life, it won't land in politics.

4. Bold, Popular Solutions

Address core concerns with concrete proposals—often ones that transcend left and right: better wages, public safety and security, affordable housing, civic freedoms, community-based care, managed migration, and protection from elite abuse. Popular issues—those that tangibly improve people's lives—always beat ideological purism. In a polarized world, broad support is how democracy wins.

5. Reclaim Patriotism and Pride

Wrap yourself in the flag and refuse to let the far right monopolize identity and belonging. Celebrate sovereignty, shared values, and cultural pride without resorting to exclusion or hate. Recall the heroes and traditions of your country as blessings to your cause and examples to live up to. True patriotism defends the integrity, freedom, and honor of the nation—and the dignity of its people. The true honor of a nation lies in defending the dignity of all.

6. Root it in Culture

People don't just want to vote—they want to belong. Use shared symbols, language, rituals, music, humor, and aesthetics that reflect their lives and values. Politics becomes culture when it's woven into these daily expressions, shaping identity and giving people a sense of ownership. Build narratives that not only persuade in the moment but stick in the songs people sing, the symbols they carry, and the words they use every day.

7. Expose the Real Divide

No scapegoats. Focus on the real sources of harm—not vague enemies, but specific corrupt elites and oligarchs who capture institutions and abuse power. Show how these few rig the rules against everyone else. While ordinary people play fair, work hard, and carry the weight, they free-ride on that effort and turn it into their own private gain. Make it clear who is responsible and why. Target behavior and attack actions and systems—never someone's identity.

8. Economic Populism, Cultural Moderation

The substance of democratic populism is context-specific, but many themes resonate across settings—and two in particular consistently prove effective enough to be worth highlighting. First, economic populism, expressed through benefit policies, key public services, job creation, and measures to reduce the cost of living, remains broadly popular across societies. Second, cultural moderation—actively distancing from the cultural radicalism of both left and right and bringing common-sense decency to the culture wars—also consistently resonates, particularly with swing voters.

Who's done it?

Brazil: Lula da Silva

Big Tent to Defeat Bolsonaro

In the 2022 elections, Lula da Silva built a broad pro-democracy coalition that went far beyond the traditional left. His candidacy brought together environmentalists, unions, feminists, evangelicals, centrist economists, former political rivals, and center-right figures like his running mate Geraldo Alckmin. The coalition's message focused on restoring democracy, rebuilding social policies dismantled by Bolsonaro, and defending institutions under attack. Lula framed the alliance as a moral necessity to defeat social injustice and doubled down on economic populism—raising the minimum wage, expanding cash transfer programs, and investing in public services.He also signalled cultural moderation, for example by deferring the abortion issue to the Congress, as over 70% of Brazilians are against access to abortion.This approach allowed him to activate his base while broadening appeal across ideological lines, ultimately securing a decisive victory.

"I want to tell you: if when I finish this term, every Brazilian has breakfast, lunch, and dinner again, I will have fulfilled the mission of my life"

"We wanted to join democrats of all political positions, classes, races and religious beliefs to defeat the totalitarian threat, the hatred, violence and discrimination hanging over our country,."

Poland: Donald Tusk

Listening to the Countryside

In the lead-up to Poland's 2023 elections, Donald Tusk's Civic Coalition shifted strategy: rather than doubling down on urban bases, they went rural. Tusk and his team toured small towns and villages long dominated by the ruling PiS party, listening to conservative and working-class voters. This wasn't about softening the message—it was about understanding lived realities. Tusk reframed his campaign around concrete proposals like fixing healthcare and protecting farmers from inflation. He balanced this with cultural moderation, avoiding divisive rhetoric while still confronting authoritarian abuses. The result was a unified opposition that broke PiS's monopoly on national identity and proved that democratic values can resonate beyond enclaves. Tusk took the time to listen.

"We showed that you don't win by insulting voters who think differently—you win by offering them something better."

India: Rahul Gandhi

A March for Unity and Dignity

In 2022, Rahul Gandhi launched the Bharat Jodo Yatra (Unite India March) a 4,000-kilometer march across India framed as a response to the country's rising hate, division, and inequality. Instead of focusing on party politics, Gandhi walked alongside farmers, students, workers, and activists—listening, not lecturing. The tone was patriotic but inclusive; the message emotional but strategic: "Unite India". His populist narrative centered on dignity, economic justice, and love over hate, away from aggressive culture war stances. Gandhi's journey helped humanize the Congress party, reconnected it with everyday struggles, and modeled an alternative to the BJP's brand of authoritarian populism.

"This election is a fight between two ideologies! On one side there is the Congress, which has always united India, and on the other side there are those who have always tried to divide people."