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Populism, an ambiguous term for a political belief in the power of ordinary people to have control over their government is not the same as racism, xenophobia, demagoguery, fascism or any of the horrors. It can, as with any democracy, be exploited for such reasons.
... I mention this because we seem to have a lot of use of "populism" as a pejorative term, leading even to some to suggest that only certain people (a "few") should vote (i.e. a specific education level etc). Now, that is a path to fascism which I find truly terrifying.
This is not to say that "populism" cannot be exploited for unethical reasons ... it can. However to tackle those attempts you don't deny the right of ordinary people, you invest in education and reducing any inequalities or negative constraints that may exist ...
... however, that investment must be continuous. It can't just wait until perceived inequalities, lack of opportunities or negative constraints ferment allowing someone to exploit it.
