The Rising Tide of Populism and Its Implications to Global Governance in the 21st Century

Abstract

The rising tide of populism in the 21st century brings about new challenges to an age-old problem in politics. Among them is to identify and understand the symptoms and causes of populism in the modern era. As a political approach which holds”the forgotten man and women” as a morally good force against the perceived corrupt and self-serving “establishment,” this chapter analyzes the populist phenomenon and how it can bring about dividends, not just constraints. This chapter ends by recommending policy-makers to re-think and re-adjust global institutions to be more inclusive, to enhance their nations' cybersecurity measures, and to promote free speech. Overall, populism is a signal that something is inherently wrong in today's global society. Rather than turning a blind eye to the issue, leaders should take a hard look at the facts and understand that there are genuine grievances that have to be identified and solved in building a just and equitable new world order. We can only ignore populism at our peril.