Words Matter

A plain-language glossary for the words that shape public life.

Political Systems & Ideologies

 

Government structures and political philosophies that shape how power is distributed, who makes decisions, and how authority is justified. These terms are often used loosely. This section pins down their actual meanings and explains how they function in practice.

Democracy & Governance Cassie Democracy & Governance Cassie

Populism

A political approach that frames society as divided between “the people” and “the elite,” claiming to speak on behalf of the former against the latter. Populism can appear across the political spectrum and is defined more by style and rhetoric than by policy content.

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