These “four behavioral warning signs” are a straightforward, unambiguous tool for evaluating political candidates. All four “warning signs” revolve around a candidate’s hostility to democracy—or their willingness to seize and maintain power even if it goes against the people’s will. This shows that, when populist outsiders appeal to “the people,” they’re not really talking about the democratic decisions of the people
as a whole. Instead, they assert that their followers are the only people who really count. They make empty appeals to the idea of democracy, when they actually want to dismantle it.