Is the West witnessing a huge political upheaval? As if overnight, many Democrats revolted and passionately backed a socialist named Bernie Sanders; the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, in a stunning rebuke; the vituperative billionaire Donald Trump became the presidential nominee of the Republican Party; and a slew of rebellious parties continued to win election after election in countries like Switzerland, Norway, Italy, Austria, and Greece. John B. Judis tells us why we need to learn about the populist movement that began in the United States in the 1890s, the politics of which have recurred on both sides of the Atlantic ever since. Populism, on both the right and the left, champions the people against an establishment, based on issues -- globalization, free trade, immigration -- on which there has been a strong elite consensus, but also an even stronger mass discontent that is now breaking out in the open.

What is populism, and why is it important? -- The logic of American populism: From the People's Party to George Wallace -- Neoliberalism and its enemies: Perot, Buchanan, the Tea Party, and Occupy Wall Street -- The silent majority and the political revolution: Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders -- The rise of European populism -- The limits of leftwing populism: Syriza and Podemos -- Rightwing populism on the march in Northern Europe -- The past and the future of populism.