I'm a populist and read and follow quite a few populist intellectuals. My definition of populism is a political doctrine whose goal is to distribute power and

I'm a populist and read and follow quite a few populist intellectuals. My definition of populism is a political doctrine whose goal is to distribute power and decision making towards the people. It differs from socialism whose focus is the distribution of wealth, traditionally done through a centralized decision making process. It also differs from conservatism where an elite enforces strong moral rules and traditionally defers to big private institutions. Populism is firmly opposed to demagogy. Demagogy is the practice of charismatic leaders to make fantastic promises if they'll be given more power. They do not empower the people, they empower themselves.