What do the recent Egyptian revolution, the Tea Party, and the anti-war demonstrations of the 1960s have in common? They are all manifestations of populism—a term whose exact meaning eludes even those scholars who study it.

“That’s one reason we were interested in putting on this conference,” said John Abromeit, assistant professor of history and social studies education, and a key organizer of the Transformations of Populism conference to be held on campus April 8–9. “We wanted to bring together scholars who study how populism has been expressed over time in different regions around the world, and also from the perspective of different disciplines such as history, political science, and sociology.”

In Western Europe, Abromeit explained, “populism” usually has a negative connotation, while in the United States, it is often seen positively as an expression of democracy. “Many Europeans see the rise of fascist Italy and Nazi Germany as populist movements,” he said, “and that’s one reason why they consider populism to be irrational and authoritarian. In the United States, we tend to think of populism as a natural expression of democracy.” One definition of populism—by no means the only one—is “the use of anti-elitist rhetoric to mobilize ‘the people’ for political ends.”

The conference, which is free and open to the public, offers five panels, each led by a keynote speaker who is a renowned expert in the field. Topics include the rise of national socialism in Germany before World War II; U.S. populism from 1890 to the present; populism in the Balkans in the twentieth century; recent conservative populism in the United States and Europe; and theories of populism. Panelists come from Canada and Germany as well as from across the United States.

The most notable speakers are Geoff Eley, Karl Pohrt Distinguished Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Michigan; Michael Kazin, professor of history at Georgetown University; and Ernesto Laclau, emeritus professor of politics at Essex University in the United Kingdom and Distinguished Professor of Humanities and Rhetorical Studies at Northwestern University. Each is a well-known and critically acclaimed author who has influenced scholars around the world. Books by these authors and other presenters are available at the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore.

In nineteenth-century Western Europe and the United States, populist movements were generally associated with progressive, democratic ideals, according to Ambromeit. However, in the twentieth century, populist rhetoric was used just as often by conservative, anti-democratic movements. This transformation gives the conference its name. However, perhaps the driving force behind the conference is its organizers’ desire to bring together leading scholars to discuss the many dimensions and definitions of populism, fascism, democracy, and elitism that are shaping political outcomes not only in America, but also around the world.

This conference is sponsored by the Research Foundation, Buffalo State College; SUNY Conversations in the Disciplines Program; the Buffalo State College Auxiliary Services Grant Allocation Committee; the Graduate Group for German and Austrian Studies, University at Buffalo; the Department of History, University at Buffalo; the German Academic Exchange Service; and the Center for Psychoanalysis and Culture, University at Buffalo.