"The recent resurgence of populist movements and parties has led to a revival of scholarly interest in populism. This volume brings together well-established and new scholars to reassess the subject and combine historical and theoretical perspectives to shed new light on the history of the subject, as well as enriching contemporary discussions. In three parts, the contributors explore the history of populism in different regions, theories of populism and recent populist movements. Taken together, the contributions included in this book represent the most comprehensive and wide-ranging study of the topic to date. Questions addressed include: - What are the 'essential' characteristics of populism? - Is it important to distinguish between left- and right-wing populism? - How can the transformation of populist movements be explained? This is the most thorough and up to date comparative historical study of populism available. As such it will be of great value to anyone researching or studying the topic. This volume focuses primarily on a comparative historical study of populism in Europe, the United States, and Latin America. It contains four historical sections (each with at least three essays) that address the following topics: whether and how the concept of populism is useful in explaining the rise of National Socialism in Germany; the development of populism in the Balkans from the late nineteenth century to the present; transformations of populism in the United States in the nineteenth and twentieth century; and the history of populism in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and the circum-Caribbean from 1920 to 1960. There are two theoretical essays that address the content, function and historical transformations of populist producerist ideology in Western Europe and the United States from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century. The final section examines more recent developments in populist movements, parties, governments and ideology in Europe, the United States, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia. The volume brings together well-established and younger scholars of populism from the disciplines of history, sociology and political science in order to explore the following questions. Is there a "populist minimum"--that is, can certain "essential" characteristics of populism be identified across space and time? Beyond such "minimum" characteristics, what contingent factors have determined the variations of populist movements at different times and places? Can one distinguish between progressive and reactionary populism, and if so, what criteria should be used? How has it been possible for reactionary populist movements to appropriate ideas and political strategies from earlier progressive populist movements?"--Bloomsbury Publishing.