Analyzed the widespread existence of populism as a political mobilization strategy in the context of the revival of multi-party systems in Africa, and pointed out that its manifestations are diverse and have national and local characteristics. At the same time, it pointed out the ambiguity of the concept of populism and the marginalization of Africa in academic discussions, emphasizing the necessity of systematic research on populism in Africa.

1、 Populism as an electoral strategy: concepts and constituent elements

Deeply explored the multidimensional components of populism as an electoral strategy in African electoral politics. Firstly, populism is defined as a strategy for politicians to establish direct connections with voters in order to garner support. It goes beyond traditional platforms, personal charisma, and patronage, forming a new form of election mobilization. Secondly, ideological guidance is the core of populism, which divides society into "good" people and "bad" elites, inspiring the unity spirit of voters. Furthermore, the mobilization of policy agendas is reflected in the policy commitments made by populist leaders to change the status quo, although the specific policy orientations vary by country and time. The shaping of personal charm is a necessary condition for populist mobilization, which aims to bring people closer through a populist political style, exaggerating crises, and shaping enemies. Finally, rally movements are a way for populist leaders to confirm and demonstrate their support from the people, responding to crises and challenges through mass rallies or movements. Overall, populism as an electoral strategy plays an important role in African electoral politics as its constituent elements.

2、 Types and manifestations of populism in African electoral politics

In depth exploration of the types and manifestations of populism in African electoral politics, emphasizing the dualism between the people and elite society and the power view of "people's will" as the core characteristics of populism. Populism in Africa varies by country and can be divided into three types: socio-economic populism, indigenous populism, and racial populism.

3、 The roots of populism in Africa

The chapter of the paper delves into the root causes of the rise of populism in Africa, exploring it from both demand and supply perspectives. Demand analysis focuses on the reasons why people support populist platforms, while supply analysis examines why political party leaders choose populist strategies. Social demand side factors include economic inequality, wealth inequality in urbanization, unemployment, and cultural identity anxiety, which provide fertile social soil for populism in Africa. For example, neoliberal economic globalization has exacerbated economic inequality, while urbanization has brought about a sharp contrast between the growth of the middle class and the expansion of urban slums. The political supply side factors involve the crisis of party representativeness, the scarcity of election resources, and the anti imperialist and anti colonial ideological tradition during the decolonization period. The crisis of party representativeness has led to public disappointment with existing political parties, providing political space for populism. The scarcity of election resources makes populism a convenient choice for party leaders. The traditional anti imperialist and anti colonial ideology provides the ideological foundation for populism, such as indigenous nationalism and African Marxism in South Africa and Zimbabwe. These factors work together to drive the rise and development of populism in Africa.

conclusion

It is pointed out that the rise of populism in African electoral politics poses a challenge to state building. Indigenous and black white populism leads to ethnic conflicts and politicization of economic issues, while socio-economic populism promotes political party changes but is difficult to achieve economic transformation. The political and economic inequality caused by Western liberalism in Africa is the root cause of the rise of populism, and Africa needs to independently explore a democratic development path that is suitable for its national conditions.