https://at-ceu.studyguide.timeedit.net/modules/DOPP5690?type=COREToday's news and public discourse are often characterized by increasing polarization and populist rhetoric. This seminar will first discuss the drivers of both, political polarization and populism. In the second part, we turn our attention towards how populist actors affect policy-making processes and assess whether the policy pledges of populist parties share certain characteristics. To get a better grasp of the underlying mechanisms, the seminar draws on political science literature. The scholarly literature will be complemented by podcasts and popular readings illustrating the phenomena. The seminar will apply a comparative lens.The overall aim of the course is to sharpen students understanding of current political processes and dynamics, highlighting the potentially adverse political implications of increasing polarization and reflect how the direction of social, cultural, and economic policies may change when populist parties enter government or challenge mainstream parties in power.