Populist parties have increasingly gained seats in Western parliaments since the 1990s. In particular, radical right populism is often seen as a symbol of our crisis-ridden political present. What can the key theories of populism tell us about this? How are crises of democracy, the development of capitalism, and the rise of authoritarian ideology interconnected today? Felix Breuning examines the main strands of the academic discussion using critical theories in the traditions of Theodor W. Adorno and Stuart Hall. He emphasizes that we must finally take a critical societal perspective on authoritarian ideology and struggles for political hegemony.