Rice panel to examine the rise of populist movements

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

 Rice panel to examine the rise of populist movements

HOUSTON – (Nov. 17, 2016) – A panel of Rice University faculty members will examine the recent rise of populist movements in constitutional democracies in Europe and the United States at the university’s Baker Institute for Public Policy Nov. 29.

The event is hosted by the Baker Institute and Rice’s Politics, Law and Social Thought Program.

Who: Panelists Peter Caldwell, the Samuel G. McCann Professor of History and co-director of the Politics, Law and Social Thought Program; Christian Emden, professor of German studies and co-director of the Politics, Law and Social Thought Program; Julie Fette, associate professor of French studies and Rice Faculty Scholar at the Baker Institute; and Mark Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, professor of political science and fellow in political science at the Baker Institute.

What: A panel on “The Rise of Populist Nationalism in Europe and the U.S.”

When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29.

Where: Rice University, Baker Hall, Kelly International Conference Facility, 6100 Main St.

The recent rise of vocal populism in the West has unsettled some of the world’s most stable liberal democracies, according to event organizers. On both sides of the political spectrum, movements claiming to speak directly for the people have challenged the legitimacy of “rule by elites.” In some cases, populist voters have rallied around strong leaders whose support for open democracy is unclear. In the European context, populism has taken the form of nationalist protest against the European Union, often linked to hostility to immigrants and globalization. In Britain, populist nationalism carried the Brexit vote to an upset victory. In France, the far-right National Front party is beginning to shape mainstream political discourse. In Germany, support for Alternative for Germany, a party on the far right of the political mainstream, ranges from 15 to 24 percent regionally. The recent U.S. presidential election saw a popular revolt against globalism that combined anti-immigrant rhetoric with a critique of Washington and Wall Street.

This panel of Rice faculty members will examine the recent rise of populist movements in constitutional democracies and discuss what caused them and why they are happening now.

A live webcast of the event will be available at www.bakerinstitute.org/events/1834.

Registration for the public is now closed. Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

For a map of Rice University’s campus with parking information, go to www.rice.edu/maps. Media are advised to park in the Central Campus Garage.

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Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top five university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.