Crisis State: Locating Populism's Conceptual Core

The aim of this paper is two-fold. The first is to put forth a method for analyzing how populism functions as a discursive practice. I seek to formulate an understanding of populism that highlights the phenomenon's three essential discursive features. I refer to these features as 'the people', 'the elite', and 'the crisis'. The second aim of this paper is to expand on the contingent and socially constructed nature of 'crisis'. I intend to show how populism is inextricably linked to the construction of 'crisis' and how populists use crisis narratives to justify their undemocratic tactics and consolidations of power.