History: the moral economy perspective

Context, variety and genealogy are among the contributions historical studies generally make to populism research. This chapter argues that there is another, as yet almost untapped, resource in historical approaches, namely a theory of moral economy that, when stripped of normative presumptions and idiographic limitations, can improve our understanding of populist moments and movements in the past - as well as in the present. This chapter fathoms what historical perspectives have on offer for populism research, enhancing knowledge into social, cultural, economic and political circumstances with the benefit of hindsight. It illustrates this by providing a chronological overview of key populist movements over the past two centuries. It does so from a moral economy perspective that correlates populism with notions of social justice, as well as with a perceived lack of acknowledgement and violation of entitlements.