populism

populism and democratic suicide

• populists blame outsiders or global turmoil for own failure

• economic consequences of populism (tariffs)

  increase attention to existence of tariffs

  • increased burdens on relatively-smaller or shrinking private sector

    • private sector is the ONLY NET contributor to tax revenue pool

    • more public sector employees → greater tax burden on private sector

  • efficiency losses due to increased use of resources by public sector

• political consequences of populism

  • demagoguery as instrument of populists of left and right (Trump hasn’t demonized latin Americans, hes demonized uninvited migrants)

  • tends towards tyranny regardless of ideology of leaders

  • populist rethoric poisions political discource