Definition of Populism
Populism is a very ambitious and controversial concept because its definition is very broad and inclusive. It can mean different things to different people. It was originally used in the United States in the mid-1890s, referring to the People’s Party. The term populism is derivate from the Latin term “populous” or people (in English). In contemporary political language, the term has negative connotations and deciding who is really a populist is very difficult task, especially because politicians do not associate themselves with the term. Modern populism is being used to describe demagogues with irrational economic or political policies, and most important, irresponsible.
Because it is almost impossible to define this …show more content…
During the 1980s, especially during the Alan Garcia’s first term, several social and economic crises lashed the country. In that period, Peru struggled with a high level of hyperinflation, increasing public debt and slow growth. In addition, Marxist and left-wing rebel groups (Shining path and Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement -MRTA in Spanish abbreviation) carried out series of terrorist attacks, assassinations and abductions. The population tired of the incompetence of Garcia’s government demanded a radical change. Fujimori, a relative unknown academic of Japanese also known as “El Chino” (Chinaman) was able to form a political party called Cambio 90 (Change 90) and gain substantial support from the lower-class voters, indigenous people and coalitions of small business owners. Without previous political experience, he promised during his campaign radical economic, political and social changes. During his campaign, he was a strongly criticized the liberalization policies imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in some countries in the region. In 1990, Fujimori was able to defeat the Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, the favorite candidate of traditional Peruvian …show more content…
After winning the presidential elections in 1990, Fujimori faced one of the biggest obstacles to achieved his political and economic goals, the legislature branch, which was controlled mainly by the opposition parties. In order to approve his austerity measure, Fujimori mounted a presidential coup (autogolpe) in 1992. He announced on television the dissolution of the Congress and the Judicial Branch. He also detained several prominent leaders of the opposition and members of the media. In addition, Fujimori also enacted a new constitution which granted him greater powers. Despite domestic and international criticism, Fujimori always enjoyed strong support from population and the military. He justified the coup and his extreme actions as a way of defiance the power of corrupt political elites. In Addition, Fujimori’s third mandate in 2001 was tainted with intimidation, harassment, and imprisonment of opposition television owner and journalists The head of the Peruvian Service Intelligence, Vladimiro Montesinos controlled and manipulated most of the media outlets to improve the approval ratings of Alberto
Populism is a very ambitious and controversial concept because its definition is very broad and inclusive. It can mean different things to different people. It was originally used in the United States in the mid-1890s, referring to the People’s Party. The term populism is derivate from the Latin term “populous” or people (in English). In contemporary political language, the term has negative connotations and deciding who is really a populist is very difficult task, especially because politicians do not associate themselves with the term. Modern populism is being used to describe demagogues with irrational economic or political policies, and most important, irresponsible.
Because it is almost impossible to define this …show more content…
During the 1980s, especially during the Alan Garcia’s first term, several social and economic crises lashed the country. In that period, Peru struggled with a high level of hyperinflation, increasing public debt and slow growth. In addition, Marxist and left-wing rebel groups (Shining path and Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement -MRTA in Spanish abbreviation) carried out series of terrorist attacks, assassinations and abductions. The population tired of the incompetence of Garcia’s government demanded a radical change. Fujimori, a relative unknown academic of Japanese also known as “El Chino” (Chinaman) was able to form a political party called Cambio 90 (Change 90) and gain substantial support from the lower-class voters, indigenous people and coalitions of small business owners. Without previous political experience, he promised during his campaign radical economic, political and social changes. During his campaign, he was a strongly criticized the liberalization policies imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in some countries in the region. In 1990, Fujimori was able to defeat the Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, the favorite candidate of traditional Peruvian …show more content…
After winning the presidential elections in 1990, Fujimori faced one of the biggest obstacles to achieved his political and economic goals, the legislature branch, which was controlled mainly by the opposition parties. In order to approve his austerity measure, Fujimori mounted a presidential coup (autogolpe) in 1992. He announced on television the dissolution of the Congress and the Judicial Branch. He also detained several prominent leaders of the opposition and members of the media. In addition, Fujimori also enacted a new constitution which granted him greater powers. Despite domestic and international criticism, Fujimori always enjoyed strong support from population and the military. He justified the coup and his extreme actions as a way of defiance the power of corrupt political elites. In Addition, Fujimori’s third mandate in 2001 was tainted with intimidation, harassment, and imprisonment of opposition television owner and journalists The head of the Peruvian Service Intelligence, Vladimiro Montesinos controlled and manipulated most of the media outlets to improve the approval ratings of Alberto