Joseph Heath argues that existing academic definitions of populism—whether
treating it as an ideology or merely an electoral strategy—are inadequate. He
proposes understanding populism through the lens of dual-process cognitive
theory (Kahneman’s “fast and slow” thinking).
Core Argument
Populism is a political strategy that privileges intuitive cognition
(System 1: fast, effortless, “common sense”) over analytical reasoning
(System 2: slow, effortful, requiring expertise). This creates a fundamental
divide between “the people” who rely on intuition and “elites” who employ
analytical thinking.
Why This Matters
Many evolved cognitive intuitions work poorly in modern large-scale societies.
For example:
People intuitively overestimate punishment’s effectiveness (due to
regression-to-mean bias)
They misunderstand trade and immigration economics
They struggle with collective action problems
When experts develop views contradicting these intuitions through analytical
reasoning, it creates lasting resentment. Populist politicians exploit this gap
by championing common sense views on issues where elite consensus is strongest.
Why Populism Thrives Now
Social media accelerates communication, favoring fast intuitive responses over
slow analytical ones. It also removes elite gatekeepers, allowing direct appeals
to popular intuition.
Specific Features Explained
Crime/immigration stances—Intuition favors punishment over expert
consensus on effectiveness
Poor handling of collective action problems—Intuition suggests blaming
others rather than coordinated restraint
Stream-of-consciousness speaking style—Demonstrates lack of verbal
inhibition, perceived as “honesty”
Illiberalism—Difficulty with abstract liberal principles requiring
cognitive decoupling
Conspiracy thinking—Natural cognitive bias toward conspiracism
requires active analytical suppression
Why the Left Struggles
The rebellion is against cognitive elites, not economic ones. The left’s
progressive agenda requires more cognitive inhibition and control (e.g.,
language policing, navigating complex bureaucracies), intensifying the very
burdens that fuel populist resentment.
An epistemic theory of populism [link post to Joseph Heath]
Link post
The following is an AI-generated summary
Populism Fast and Slow—Summary
Joseph Heath argues that existing academic definitions of populism—whether treating it as an ideology or merely an electoral strategy—are inadequate. He proposes understanding populism through the lens of dual-process cognitive theory (Kahneman’s “fast and slow” thinking).
Core Argument
Populism is a political strategy that privileges intuitive cognition (System 1: fast, effortless, “common sense”) over analytical reasoning (System 2: slow, effortful, requiring expertise). This creates a fundamental divide between “the people” who rely on intuition and “elites” who employ analytical thinking.
Why This Matters
Many evolved cognitive intuitions work poorly in modern large-scale societies. For example:
People intuitively overestimate punishment’s effectiveness (due to regression-to-mean bias)
They misunderstand trade and immigration economics
They struggle with collective action problems
When experts develop views contradicting these intuitions through analytical reasoning, it creates lasting resentment. Populist politicians exploit this gap by championing common sense views on issues where elite consensus is strongest.
Why Populism Thrives Now
Social media accelerates communication, favoring fast intuitive responses over slow analytical ones. It also removes elite gatekeepers, allowing direct appeals to popular intuition.
Specific Features Explained
Crime/immigration stances—Intuition favors punishment over expert consensus on effectiveness
Poor handling of collective action problems—Intuition suggests blaming others rather than coordinated restraint
Stream-of-consciousness speaking style—Demonstrates lack of verbal inhibition, perceived as “honesty”
Illiberalism—Difficulty with abstract liberal principles requiring cognitive decoupling
Conspiracy thinking—Natural cognitive bias toward conspiracism requires active analytical suppression
Why the Left Struggles
The rebellion is against cognitive elites, not economic ones. The left’s progressive agenda requires more cognitive inhibition and control (e.g., language policing, navigating complex bureaucracies), intensifying the very burdens that fuel populist resentment.