Teaching Polarization and Populism through Active Learning

Teaching populism in an era of polarization presents challenges as students often approach the topic with ideological biases. This study explores an active learning approach implemented in a populism course at Mount St. Mary’s University. Using a gamified classification exercise, students analyzed 20 global populist speeches through a 4x4 bingo game, categorizing rhetoric into different populism subtypes. The activity fostered critical engagement, comparative analysis, and bias reduction by shifting focus from ideology to rhetorical style. This approach enhanced analytical precision, sustained engagement, and broadened students’ global understanding of populism, offering insights for teaching politically sensitive topics effectively.