Benjamin Moffitt Lecture: The Five Spatial Political Logics of Populism

Date: June 25, 2025

Time: 4 p.m – 6 p.m

Location: Benjamin Moffit Talk + Q&A: Room A201 | Reception: A-Wing 2nd Floor Mezzanine - York University's Glendon campus.

The Observatory of Populism in Canada is delighted to host this talk by Dr. Benjamin Moffitt followed by a reception, on York’s Glendon Campus.

Title: The Five Spatial Political Logics of Populism: An Analytical Framework and Research Agenda for Studying the Populist Politicization of Space from the Local to the Transnational

Description: How does populism interact with space? Although there is growing awareness that populism is not just a national phenomenon and that it can be articulated on geographical scales ranging from the local to the transnational, there has been little attempt to provide a systematic framework for understanding how populism works across these scales, and specifically how space is politicized across them. This article addresses this gap by utilizing a discourse-theoretical understanding of populism and the politicization of space. It systematizes the extant literature on populism on different geographical scales and introduces the notion of ‘spatial political logics’. The article identifies five main spatial political logics that structure the populist politicization of space: lower-scale/higher-scale, centre/periphery, North/South and East/West, in/out, and rooted/rootless. It also develops an analytical framework for future research on the intricate relations between populism and space across geographical scales, setting out key questions that can guide case studies, comparative research, and broader theoretical reflections.

Benjamin Moffitt is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. His research focuses on contemporary challenges to liberal democracy, and he is one of the world’s foremost experts on populism, having authored three influential monographs on the topic. He is currently writing The Visual Politics of Populism for Oxford University Press and leading an Australia Research Council-funded project on populist ‘heartlands’ across the globe.

The talk will be followed by a question-and-answer session and a reception during which refreshments will be served.

Registration is free of charge and places are limited, so secure your spot by registering before June 20th!

We thank our partners for their support in organizing this event.

· The Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies

· Glendon Office of the Principal

· The Glendon School of Public and International Affairs

For inquiries, kindly contact us at research@glendon.yorku.ca