Expertise as status inversion

Populist politics often works by reframing epistemic authority as a status prize: 'common sense' is narrated as higher‑status knowledge than credentialed expertise, so rejecting experts becomes a way for low‑status groups to reclaim dignity and power. This is less about factual disagreement than about a public performance that swaps who counts as authoritative. — Recognizing expertise as a status hierarchy reframes policy battles (public health, forecasting, regulation) as contests over social dignity, changing strategies for restoring trust and designing institutions.