Populism Scale

The Populism Attitudes Scale measures individual propensity toward populist political orientations, including Manichean worldview (pure people vs. corrupt elites), belief in popular sovereignty, and anti-elitism. Developed by Akkerman, Mudde, and Zaslaysky (2014), the eight-item scale distinguishes populist attitudes from left-right ideology, authoritarian attitudes, and distrust of institutions. It captures voters' susceptibility to populist political messaging across left-wing and right-wing populist movements globally, from Latin American left-populism to European right-wing populism.