Populist Ethno-Religious Nationalism: Challenges to Global Governance and Domestic Social Integration

Abstrak

This literature study examines the confluence of identity politics, ethno-religious nationalism, and populism as a defining geopolitical force in the contemporary world. It argues that this triad is reconfiguring both the international order and domestic social contracts. At the global level, populist identity politics transforms sovereignty from a legal principle into a performative tool for asserting exclusive cultural identity, thereby fostering a fragmented and transactional order skeptical of multilateralism and international law. Domestically, it challenges inclusive citizenship by replacing civic solidarity with exclusive communal bonds based on perceived ethnic or religious homogeneity and antagonism towards constructed "others." This process erodes social cohesion, polarizes publics, and weakens democratic institutions by personalizing power and undermining checks and balances. The study concludes that these dynamics represent a significant shift away from post-Cold War liberal paradigms, demanding renewed scholarly and practical attention to building resilient, pluralistic societies and adaptable international frameworks in an age of resurgent identitarian geopolitics.