Political psychology of populism: Trump, Brexit, and the formation of populist political psychology

This study examines how right-wing populism determines the political psychology of societies within their own dynamics. In the study, Trump and Brexit, as examples of right-wing populism, are discussed in terms of political psychology. Through these examples, how people were affected by populist politics and how their attitudes have been changed by the role of mass media will be analysed. Therefore, this study is relevant to academic fields of communication, political psychology and political science. These three academic fields are discussed over the role of populism on the politicisation of societies and their attitudes. In terms of populism and political psychology researchers, this study will create an alternative to the way the subject is handled. The thesis will first overview the literature on populism with a specific focus on the frameworks of Trump and Brexit. In this framework, the psycho-dynamics of right-wing populism, which appeals to people's traumas, are included. Localist, national, xenophobic, anti-elitist, antineoliberal attitudes are examples of these dynamics. Then, focusing on the formation of political psychology, the relationship between individual-society-politics was analysed. Although this relationship is reciprocal, it explains the dispositional and situationist behavior in the formation of personalities and reveals the factors underlying the attitudes. In addition, it is planned to make the subject more understandable by giving political psychology determination methods made through mass media. This research focusses on the multi-lateral relationship between the individual, society and politics. In this complex relationship, the common elements are populism and political psychology. Concepts such as the leader, the media, the crisis, democracy, the party, the elites and the people form the basis for seeking answers to the following questions: What are the psycho-political dynamics of populism? How does populism affect political attitudes? What effect does the mass media have on political thought? What is the political psychology of populism? The study will increasethe level of awareness about the importance of psychology in understanding political events, how political events turn into an element of persuasion through the media, and how these persuasion factors affect the attitudes of the society towards politics.