Populism, a contested concept and word

Populism is an ambiguous and confusing word that generates a heated debate as a concept, but also as a term. In this article our aim is to delve into the controversial status of populism as an integral element of the vocabulary of the social sciences. In the first place, we will delve into the problems and ambiguities that arise from its common use, from its banal use, from its use in the daily political and partisan struggle. Secondly, we will investigate the obstacles that we face in its specialized or academic use. On the one hand, due to the fragmentation and poor accumulability of existing theories. And, on the other hand, due to the widespread practice of creating neologisms and the use of synonyms that try to fit the meaning given to the populist phenomenon. This review of what is problematic about populism will immediately place us in the debate about its validity and usefulness as an analytical category in the social sciences. A discussion that will place us before the dilemma of banishing the term from the scientific vocabulary or continuing with the task of finding some kind of definition. In short, in the compression of the complex and intricate populist phenomenon.