The series is made possible by the generosity of Bill (LAW’71) and Patty Kleh and the Kleh Family Foundation.

Change at All Costs: The Anti-Establishment Electoral Trend in Western Democracies

November 6, 2024

Donald Trump. Alternative for Germany. Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Brothers of Italy. National Rally. Jair Bolsonaro. Dutch Party for Freedom. Sweden Democrats. In democracies across Europe and the Americas, the political establishment is under threat—or already decimated—as voters increasingly opt for outsider, anti-establishment parties and candidates. While many challenges come from the populist right, some involve new parties of the left—especially in the 2010s, as with Spain’s Podemos and Greece’s Syriza. And even some centrists like Emmanuel Macron have gained office at the expense of the “powers that be.”

How can we account for this anti-establishment electoral trend in Western democracies? How long has it been going on, and what different forms has it taken? And why do we see some exceptions in which the establishment, though shaken, has been more resilient? The 2024 Kleh Lecture by Professor Taylor Boas will explore political scientists’ answers to these questions and where the trend of anti-establishment voting is likely to take us in the future.

View photos from the 2024 Kleh Family Foundation Distinguished Lecture on Flickr.

About the series

Over the past decade and a half, some of the greatest minds at Boston University have had a rare opportunity: to travel to London and present their best thinking to one of the world’s more discerning audiences.

The event is the William H. and Patricia M. Kleh Lecture, held annually since 2001. As the roster attests, the speakers have been outstanding by any measure. They have addressed an almost astonishing range of topics: from art to politics to journalism to global health—and many, many more. The late Elie Wiesel challenged his audience to embrace peace and fight indifference, and to remain engaged as citizens in times of crisis. Ed Damiano described how his “bionic pancreas”—tantalizingly close to going to clinical trials—might soon revolutionize diabetes care. Even within a single field represented by multiple Kleh Lectures, the diversity of viewpoints has been impressive—music from Bach to Dylan, and empires from the United Kingdom to the United States.

If anything, the Kleh Lecture has exceeded expectations. It has done more for our faculty than anticipated. Far more than we could have hoped, it has reinforced Boston University’s reputation as a global crucible of powerful ideas. And perhaps it’s fair to say that each year, it educates, entertains, and delights its London audiences beyond their already high standards.

Today, on both sides of the Atlantic, people look forward to the Kleh Lecture.