The course will consider the challenge of populist politics in our time, from historical, comparative and theoretical points of view. Starting with classical Greek authors (Aristotle, Polybius and Cicero) , we move on to early modern revivals of democratic and republican theories (Maciavelli and Rousseau). Particular attention will be paid to the ideological struggles of the French and American revolutions. We will then focus on U.S. American and Latin American populisms of the 19th and early twentieth centuries. The relationship and contrast of populism and fascism will be investigated within what has been called the “great transformation”. Finally, we will consider contemporary cases in three (and depending on student interest in possibly four or even five) continents, and end with some contemporary attempts to critically theorize the phenomenon. Students will be responsible to write two short essays each: one on a country study, and the other on a theoretical conception.