 Kenneth M. Roberts, Populism, Political Conflict, and Grass-Roots Organization in Latin America Populism is a notoriously difficult concept to pin down, due in part to its diverse organizational expressions. The different organizational subtypes of populism in both partisan and civic arenas are influenced but directly determined by structural and institutional conditions. A comparison of Alberto Fujimori in Peru and Hugo Chávez in Venezuela demonstrates that contemporary populist figures are associated with widely varying levels of sociopolitical organization. Since popular organization is an instrument to counterbalance elite power resources, greater partisan and civic organization is likely as conflict intensifies between populist leaders and elite opponents. |