This study discussed the concept of populism, which has evolved through different historical stages. The researcher reviewed the conceptual trends of populism as stated by different scholars and intellectuals as an entry for paraphrasing and analyzing the concept. The study concluded that populism is still a controversial concept in the social sciences which resists the theoretical generalizations. This is conspicuously reflected in its applications, which clearly showed structural problems in the populist thought and its reflections in the society. However, there are conceptual trends in populism that are most frequently used, not to mention the consensus among theorists on some common features of the populist phenomenon.
populism, conceptual analysis, contemporary conceptual trends
