Why the Poor Support Populism: The Politics of Sincerity in Metro Manila

Why do the poor respond to some populist appeals and not to others? Populist support is largely attributed to a leader’s “populist style.” Populist style is seen as consisting of tactics aimed at cultivating popular identification. This explanation, however, cannot tell us why the poor discriminate among leaders employing similar tactics. This article considers the question with respect to the Philippine populist Joseph Estrada. It finds that the poor support Estrada because they perceive him to be sincere, or someone who cares about them beyond electoral considerations. They see him as sincere because his political performance engages their expectations and has proven coherent over time. The collective nature of their belief in Estrada’s sincerity helps account for its objectivity, durability, and diffusion. The empirical case presents an opportunity to develop a more sophisticated account of populist style and to show that it depends as much on the political savvy of supporters as on the skill of leaders.