It is no secret that populism is resurgent in many parts of the global West, or that this revival often features unabashed demagogues trumpeting a politics of exclusion. But what do these terms mean, precisely, and what cultures and histories inform them? This class will examine the figure of the demagogue and the ideology of populism, in the context of the United States. We will consider how appeals to “the people” mobilize rage and resentment, dig into populism's progressive Black roots and interrogate the techniques which pit the “average American” against putatively corrupt institutions and privileged elites. Along the way, we will read a range historical and contemporary populist texts, from Alexander Hamilton's letters railing against demagoguery, to Occupy Wall Street's aspirational post-capitalist tweets, to the National Rifle Association's TV show “Armed and Fabulous” and contemporary country music's “pickup truck” populism.