Wars Quickly Erode Populist Coalitions

When a populist executive launches costly military actions without domestic legitimation (no congressional authorization, no voter outreach), the short‑term spectacle can reverse political gains by driving away independent voters and splintering party support. The effect is amplified if the war raises immediate economic pain (e.g., higher energy prices) and appears impulsive rather than strategically justified. — This reframes the risk of foreign adventurism as an acute domestic political vulnerability for populist regimes, not just a strategic or moral question.