Environmental Populism

“There are a lot of insights packed into this short book, which takes its bearings from looming climate catastrophe. Mark Beeson shows convincingly that political action need not end in despair, and that—surprisingly—populism may have a part to play in effective response, if it can be bent in an environmental direction.”—John Dryzek, Centenary Professor, Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, University of Canberra, Australia
This book evaluates climate change and populism, two ideas that do not generally go together. The author argues that perhaps they should if policymakers are to be galvanized into action before it is too late. Although populism is usually associated with right-wing authoritarianism, there is growing interest in more progressive forms of populist politics. Across the world, young people in particular are mobilizing to demand change from an older generation that appears to be incapable of action or is hostage to powerful vested interests and outdated ideas. In this book, the author explains why populist forms of political action may yet provide the key to effective policies, which are often discussed but less frequently implemented. Accessible and trenchantly argued, this book presents a primer for the politics of survival.
Mark Beeson is Professor of International Politics at the University of Western Australia. Before joining UWA, he taught at Murdoch, Griffith, Queensland, York (UK) and Birmingham. He is the founding editor of Critical Studies of the Asia Pacific. His latest book is Rethinking Global Governance (Palgrave, 2019).