| Sumario: | The article focuses on populism and politics. The main reason for the difficulty in defining populism in Spanish America is that the term describes the general political life of the region, not a particular ideology or movement. In the opinion of the author populism as a cultural system, specifically as a familiar narratable rhetoric, can function left, right and center on the political spectrum. The populist rhetoric represents the difficulties faced by a nation in transition to industrial society in terms of a traditional family that has been disrupted and that strives to reintegrate and to reestablish harmony. The people are cast as the husband and thus are often identified with the populist leader. This gives the entire population of a country the function of a coherent and socially predetermined unit. Even when class differences are acknowledged, they amount to separate but equal status since everyone is assumed to share the same analysis of national problems and to benefit from the solidary solution.
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