Dataset and code for "Populism Beyond Borders: How Populist Leadership Undermines Multilateral Cooperation in International Organizations"

This research expands the understanding of populism’s international implications, investigating its impact on multilateral cooperation in international organizations (IOs). Drawing on the “Strategic Ambivalence” theory, it argues that populist leaders’ prioritization of national sovereignty and anti-elite rhetoric constrain their engagement, undermining multilateral governance. Analyzing UNGA voting distance on a dyad-year basis, the study finds that populist leadership increases voting divergence. This effect is compounded when both dyad members are populist and intensified by higher levels of anti-elitism and people-centrism. Although ideological alignment moderates this divergence, it is significantly less effective for leftist populist dyads, which show the largest divergence. The findings suggest that populism erodes multilateral cooperation, contributing to diplomatic fragmentation and challenges for global governance. This necessitates adapted strategies from policymakers and IOs, such as drafting policy messages on demonstrable broad benefits, and innovative public engagement to counter populist narratives of institutional irrelevance or corruption.