This week topic is about the term populism and how political figures take advantage of this method to gain popularity among people. Political figures always try to express that they are same as other ordinary people and they are coming from an average social group. This way they are able to gain the trust of majority of average people and become popular (win elections).

This method is widely used by politicians in both present and the past and it has some pros and cons. Regarding its pros, it would most probably unite the people in the society and prepare them for a change. For instance, Mexican president Cárdenas and Argentine President Perón used this method to establish a relationship of trust between the government and the people which gave hope to the entire Latin American community. However, on the other hand, this might be used to promote false claims and mislead a nation for personal gain.

Furthermore as it is mentioned, populists were not just defined by a political style; they came of age in an era of significant social and technological change. These technological innovations transformed what it was to be a politician, and what it was to be a member of the crowd. In the radio age the act of listening to the leader still connected the listener to power, but instead of something that was individually empowering, it made the crowd into a people.

Also, another interesting fact about this week material was the improving role of women in Latin American society during that era. For instance, the role of the president Peron’s wife Eva Duarte. Prior to that time period it was very uncommon for women to hold political roles, however, she managed to overcome this barrier.

It is interesting to see how the situation in South America has changed over the years.