“Cinderella Complex” Half a Century Later: Modern Approaches to the Study of Populism and Their Empirical Application

In recent years, the topic of populism has become one of the most popular in Political Science. At the same time, the very content of the concept of populism remains subject of scientific debates, which inevitably affects empirical studies, because it is the theoretical framework that determines the choice of specific analysis tools. The article intends to serve as a kind of navigator for those who plan to engage in an empirical study of populism, to outline the set of conceptualizations of this phenomenon that are currently used. The article considers three theoretical approaches to populism — ideational, political-strategic, and performative. The author briefly touches upon the history and content of each of these approaches, discusses their empirical application, as well as their inherent advantages and disadvantages, after which he shows in what type of research they can be productive. According to his conclusion, ideational approach is optimal for conducting cross-national studies or extensive quantitative studies within one country. Political-strategic approach could be useful when studying populism in Latin America or in countries, where parties are poorly institutionalized. Performative approach could be a better choice if the study focuses on populist interactions with the media, or on a particular case study.