The Age of Discontent
Populism, Extremism, and Conspiracy Theories in Contemporary Democracies

Examines how emotions caused by economic crises inflame racial, ethnic, and regional tensions, consequently promoting populism, extremism, and conspiracy theories.

Matthew Rhodes-Purdy (Author), Rachel Navarre (Author), Stephen Utych (Author)

9781009279390, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 9 March 2023

300 pages
23.5 x 15.5 x 2.2 cm, 0.58 kg

The years following the 2008 financial crisis produced a surge of political discontent with populism, conspiracism, and Far Right extremism rising across the world. Despite this timing, many of these movements coalesced around cultural issues rather than economic grievances. But if culture, and not economics, is the primary driver of political discontent, why did these developments emerge after a financial collapse, a pattern that repeats throughout the history of the democratic world? Using the framework of 'Affective Political Economy', The Age of Discontent demonstrates that emotions borne of economic crises produce cultural discontent, thus enflaming conflicts over values and identities. The book uses this framework to explain the rise of populism and the radical right in the US, UK, Spain, and Brazil, and the social uprising in Chile. It argues that states must fulfill their roles as providers of social insurance and channels for citizen voices if they wish to turn back the tide of political discontent.

1. Introduction
2. Left behind vs. backlash: economic and cultural theories of democratic discontent
3. Affective political economy: the economic origins of democratic discontent
4. Affective political economy and political discontent: an experimental analysis
5. Frozen parties, failing markets: discontent in the United States and United Kingdom
6. Austerity, regionalism and dueling populisms in Spain
7. Corruption, populism and contentious politics in Brazil and Chile
8. The dogs that did not bark: how Canada, Portugal and Uruguay avoided discontent
9. Populism in power: polarization, charismatic attachment and conspiracy theories in Trump's America
10. Conclusions: is neoliberal democracy sustainable?

Subject Areas: Political economy [KCP], Public opinion & polls [JPVK], Comparative politics [JPB]