Populism, Disease and Disaster

Professor Natasha Lindstädt, Deputy Dean of Education in the Faculty of Social Sciences and a Professor in the Department of Government will give a lecture as part of the Essex Explores series on Populism, Disease and Disaster.

Disease and disaster management often necessitates technical and scientific expertise, something that populist leaders eschew. This lecture explores how populist leaders have responded to these crises compared to technocratic counterparts. Though populist leadership often rises in the wake of a crisis either by imagining a crisis or over-exaggerating one - once in power, populists do the opposite. They downplay the dangers and politically manage the data. Populist leaders generally have a terrible record in responding to crises because they hollow out the institutions and thrive off of empty rhetoric. They also tend to use the crisis to double down on authoritarianism. This lecture explores the issues with populism and crises, in the COVID-19 era.

Please register in advance for this lecture