The Stanford Emerging Tech Review 2025

Dear Friend,

We throw the word "populism" around a lot these days. But few stop to ask: Which kind?

Victor Davis Hanson, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, argues there’s not one—but two—populisms at play. And they reflect tensions that go back thousands of years.

In his widely read eBook Dueling Populisms, Hanson offers a historical lens through which to understand today’s cultural and political divides—between grassroots movements seeking liberty and those demanding equality through redistribution.

The parallels are striking:

• Ancient Roman farmers resisting a ruling class disconnected from daily life.
• Urban protest movements demanding entitlements and systemic change.
• The 21st-century revival of both forces—facing off, often without the parties themselves fully understanding the stakes.

What emerges is not a battle between Left and Right, but between two visions of what “the people” deserve.

You can access Dueling Populisms for free here: https://resources.hoover.org/dueling-populisms-signup-premium/

Hoover’s mission is to ground modern policy and debate in historical context and enduring ideas. This eBook is a clear example of that tradition.

Thank you,
Greg

Greg Stamps | Online Development
Hoover Institution | Stanford University

With its eminent scholars and world-renowned Library and Archives, the Hoover Institution is a non-partisan, data-driven policy research organization that seeks to improve the human condition by advancing ideas that promote economic prosperity, national security, and democratic governance. Over more than one hundred years, Hoover’s work has directly led to policies that have produced greater freedom, democracy, and opportunity in the United States and around the world.