Populism in Brazil

Abstract

The global rise of populism has raised growing concerns about its relationship with democracy (Weyland, 2022). This dissertation contributes to the debate about the relationship between populism and democracy by analysing how left-wing populism differs from right-wing populism in Brazil in comparison to their relationship with democracy. The empirical focus is on two case studies: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) (2003–2010) as a left-wing populist leader and Jair Bolsonaro (2019–2022) as a right-wing populist leader. I adopt Cas Mudde’s definition of populism and the inclusion/exclusion framework developed by Mudde and Rovira Kaltwasser (2012), further enriched by Dani Filc’s (2010) distinction between material, symbolic, and political dimensions. The analysis centres on three key mechanisms: 1) approaches to democracy, 2) engagement with institutional checks and balances, and 3) interaction with broader ideological elements.