Published on October 21, 2025 5:30 AM GMT

The following is an AI-generated summary

Populism Fast and Slow - Summary

Joseph Heath argues that existing academic definitions of populism—whethertreating it as an ideology or merely an electoral strategy—are inadequate. Heproposes understanding populism through the lens of dual-process cognitivetheory (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 fundamentaldivide between "the people" who rely on intuition and "elites" who employanalytical thinking.

Why This Matters

Many evolved cognitive intuitions work poorly in modern large-scale societies.For example:

People intuitively overestimate punishment's effectiveness (due toregression-to-mean bias)They misunderstand trade and immigration economicsThey struggle with collective action problems

When experts develop views contradicting these intuitions through analyticalreasoning, it creates lasting resentment. Populist politicians exploit this gapby championing common sense views on issues where elite consensus is strongest.

Why Populism Thrives Now

Social media accelerates communication, favoring fast intuitive responses overslow analytical ones. It also removes elite gatekeepers, allowing direct appealsto popular intuition.

Specific Features Explained

Crime/immigration stances - Intuition favors punishment over expertconsensus on effectivenessPoor handling of collective action problems - Intuition suggests blamingothers rather than coordinated restraintStream-of-consciousness speaking style - Demonstrates lack of verbalinhibition, perceived as "honesty"Illiberalism - Difficulty with abstract liberal principles requiringcognitive decouplingConspiracy thinking - Natural cognitive bias toward conspiracismrequires active analytical suppression

Why the Left Struggles

The rebellion is against cognitive elites, not economic ones. The left'sprogressive agenda requires more cognitive inhibition and control (e.g.,language policing, navigating complex bureaucracies), intensifying the veryburdens that fuel populist resentment.