Populist party’s challenge to democracy: Institutional capture,performance and religion

Abstract

Studies of populist parties typically focus either on discourse, policies, or institutional captures (e.g., constitutional reforms). Yet the analysis of each in isolation risks thwarting our understanding of populists’ electoral success. Discursive practices and institutional captures of populist parties are not separate processes but their successes depend on each other. The resiliency of populist parties relies not only on overt but also insidious captures. Silent, gradual captures become effective through populist performances, deployment of excluded discourses and the extension of benefits to marginalized groups. Analysis of the recent transformation of Turkey’s oldest locally elected representative institution, mukhtars, illustrates how populist policies turn nonpartisan institutions into partisan ones through insidious captures and deployment of religious discourse. While empowering some groups, expanding political discourse and access to the state, such practices also limit nonpartisan representation, and turn political questions into normative issues, exacerbating the ongoing polarization and authoritarian control of ruling parties.