Articles by Paul D. Kenny

July 10, 2023

🔮 The myth of the irrational populist

Paul D. Kenny

Scholars and pundits – few of whom are populist supporters themselves – like nothing more than to point out the seeming foolishness of populism. However, Paul Kenny argues, there is also frequently a rational explanation behind their choices. Populist voters may be a lot of things, but they are not irrational

Paul D. Kenny

Professor of Political Science, Institute for Humanities & Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University and Visiting Fellow, Australian National University

Paul is one of the world's leading experts on populism.

He holds a PhD in political science from Yale University and degrees in economics and political economy from Trinity College Dublin and the London School of Economics.

He is Professor and Director of the Political Science Program at ACU and lives in Melbourne, Australia.

He is currently working on a several new book projects, including Populism: What Everyone Needs to Know, forthcoming with Oxford University Press.

pauldkenny.com

He tweets @KennypdPaul

Populism and Patronage: Why Populists Win Elections in India, Asia, and Beyond
Oxford, 2017

Populism in Southeast Asia
Cambridge, 2017

Why Populism? Political Strategy from Ancient Greece to the Present
Cambridge, 2023

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