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Populism and the Economics of Globalization

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  • Dani Rodrik

Abstract

Populism may seem like it has come out of nowhere, but it has been on the rise for a while. I argue that economic history and economic theory both provide ample grounds for anticipating that advanced stages of economic globalization would produce a political backlash. While the backlash may have been predictable, the specific form it took was less so. I distinguish between left-wing and right-wing variants of populism, which differ with respect to the societal cleavages that populist politicians highlight. The first has been predominant in Latin America, and the second in Europe. I argue that these different reactions are related to the relative salience of different types of globalization shocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Dani Rodrik, 2017. "Populism and the Economics of Globalization," NBER Working Papers 23559, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23559
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    • F02 - International Economics - - General - - - International Economic Order and Integration

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