Populism In Foreign Policy

The concept of populism is complex,embodying a political discourse with a unique logic,a political strategy for seeking or maintaining power,a contentious political movement,a highly performative political style,and a political logic constructing the subjectivity of "the people." In the realm of foreign policy,populism can be conceptualized as "a thin ideology centered around a narrow view of the people,opposing existing power structures to protect the interests of a specific populace." It holds two core functions in foreign policy: value-level policy propositions and instrumental narrative strategies.The former focuses on the value aspect of populism,framing foreign policy preferences within a thick ideological context.The latter reflects the instrumentality of populism,utilizing discourse for political propaganda,mobilization,and diplomatic pressure.The two core functions of populism maintain a high level of consistency in their ideological core and political objectives,jointly influencing foreign policy.As an indirect influencing factor,populism establishes its unique impact pathways by connecting with the unit elements of foreign policy: states,organizations,and individuals.Simultaneously,although populism can affect foreign policy at three different levels,understanding the mechanisms of populism is necessary to actualize and embed these influences into the foreign policy system.This mechanism encompasses three stages through which populism operates: the inception phase of forming differentiated issues,the screening phase of situational selection,and the implementation phase of intervening in the foreign policy decision-making process.Based on the mechanism of populism,this paper constructs an analytical framework for populism and foreign policy.It starts from the actual modes of populist action to analyze the inception and formation of populism’s role in foreign policy,its specific implementation,and its actual efficacy.Before conducting a detailed analysis,clarifying the operational boundaries of populism is essential.Populism’s limitations in foreign policy formulation arise from its hollow value content,lack of action capability,dependence on national status,and fear of policy failure.These limitations render populism an indirect and enduring influencing factor in foreign policy.The role of populism in foreign policy originates from the deterioration of the domestic political ecology.As the domestic and international political landscapes evolve,the spread of domestic issues and their interaction with international problems occur almost simultaneously.The impact of populism has a transmission effect,with its influence gradually extending from the domestic realm to the foreign policy level.Populism incorporates different thick ideologies to propose foreign policy issues with distinctive differences.Whether and to what extent these issues can be realized depends on the specific context in which populism operates.Understanding the role of populism in various scenarios requires integrating populism into the foreign policy decision-making system,thereby revealing the formation of populism’s role in foreign policy.The specific roles of populism can be organized at three levels: Firstly,at the national level,it influences the evaluation of interests and the perception of characteristics.Secondly,at the organizational level,it drives the transformation of traditional diplomatic decision-making processes,and intervenes in diplomatic decision-making institutions through political parties and social media;Lastly,at the individual level,it creates a specific decision-making atmosphere,affects the political style of decision-makers,and promotes political mobilization by shifting internal pressures.These levels together constitute the concrete manifestations of populism in practice.In terms of actual efficacy,the real impact of populism in the realm of foreign policy can be assessed from five dimensions: it helps to adjust the legitimacy basis of foreign policy and enhances the trend of re-politicization of policy;in the diplomatic decision-making process,populism has the ability to reset policy priorities,making the decision-making process more focused and personalized,and it provides a broader platform for public participation in diplomatic decision-making.At the same time,populism in foreign policy also has its limitations,manifested in the susceptibility to intervention by individual biases of decision-makers,and the short-sightedness of policy objectives.To validate the above content,this article selects the foreign policy of the Modi government as the subject of a case study according to standard criteria.The conclusion indicates that the populist features in the Modi government’s foreign policy are an adaptive response to changes in India’s domestic political landscape and the dynamics of the international environment,shaped by the political and social construction processes under specific circumstances.Populism can exert its influence through multiple levels with its policy propositions and discourse strategies.Its specific role and actual efficacy in the Modi government’s foreign policy align with expectations.