Populism and its impact on the relationship between democracy and liberalism

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze the relationship between democracy and liberalism, and the impact that populism has on it. According to Mouffe, the relationship between liberalism and democracy arises from conflict and will continue to cause conflict. The rise of populist movements within a democracy is one of these conflicts. The starting point of this article is the theory of Alexis de Tocqueville, who identifies liberalism with the concept of freedom and democracy with the principle of equality; and according to him, liberal democracy aims at reconciliation and the coexistence of freedom and equality. Regarding populism, the main assumption is that it has a negative impact on the relationship between democracy and liberalism. The methodology used is qualitative, based on the interpretation of the theoretical framework and the analysis of different approaches and attitudes of different authors and studies.