There appear to be several components to the movement that has become known as populism. One of the most prominent is its portrayal of conventional politics as out of touch, unresponsive to the needs of the populace, and often corrupt. Another is its disdain for the elite and for expertise and its preference for the common sense of ordinary folk. Populism is embraced by those who feel that they are being left behind in a world they no longer understand. Their jobs are at risk because of globalization and automation. Their economic insecurity makes them less tolerant of immigrants – people who (as they see it) provide an added threat to their job prospects. They often rail against the political correctness that now seems so prevalent, including the movement to gender neutral terminology. Those who are strongly religious often see the liberalization of attitudes and laws with respect to abortion and gay rights as further evidence of a world in which they don’t feel comfortable.
Populism offers simple slogans that can be strangely appealing to those who find the world too complex and confusing and who feel betrayed by previous generations of politicians. Draining the swamp, stopping the gravy train, reducing taxes, taking on the elites, being the voice of the people – all of these slogans resonate with the substantial numbers of disillusioned and disaffected in society.
Populism in Practice
In practice, however, it is difficult to see how populism actually improves the lives of most of those who support it. This is particularly evident in the U.S., where populist feelings played a major role in the election of Donald Trump. He has focused on providing tax cuts for the rich and large corporations, trying to undermine the provisions of the Affordable Health Care Act, and removing regulations governing business operations and environmental protection – actions more harmful than helpful to those worried about their futures. Nor will they benefit from the trade wars that Trump seems determined to start, which will result in higher tariffs on imports and, therefore, higher costs for consumers. Even Trump’s efforts to ban or restrict immigration will have an adverse impact on the economy by shrinking the labour force that is needed to support economic growth.
Populism in Ontario
There is little reason to expect any better outcome if populism succeeds in propelling Doug Ford to the Premier’s seat in Ontario. To this point he has offered almost nothing in the way of specific policies that he would pursue, but major cuts in government services and staff will be unavoidable if he is to provide both reduced taxes and a balanced budget – and those cuts will inevitably harm those left behind in today’s economy and supporting Ford as a result.
When his supporters speak favourable of Ford “taking us back to the way things were,” what nostalgic past are they remembering? I presume it is not the one where the last Conservative Premier presided over major cuts to hospital beds and nurses and initially justified cutting a food allowance for pregnant welfare recipients lest the dollars got spent on beer. I hope it is not the one in which Conservative ideology prevailed over evidence and expertise as part of the common sense revolution, nor the one in which the provincial books were improved by downloading major costs on the municipal level. I hope those unhappy with advancements in gay rights are not yearning for the “good old days” of gay-bashing highlighted by the notorious bathhouse raids of early 1981.
I can appreciate why many are unhappy with governments, resentment of the income inequality in society, and apprehensive about their futures. But such emotions should not lead one to embrace uncritically the simple slogans of populism or yearn for a past that was not as rosy as we would like to remember. The best response to the simplistic allure of populism is for you to look closely at the parties and the policies they are offering in the June election in Ontario and to vote for the option that best offers the prospect of real change and improvement in your quality of life. Don’t let your feelings get in the way of a rational decision.