Hockey Moms and Pitbulls.Populist Discourse and Female Leaders

Populist powers are increasingly important in contemporary world and society, and studies on populism have penetrated contemporary currents of political science. However, despite the number and relevance of inquiries into populism, its relationship with gender issues is still a generally understudied subject. The aim of my article is both to highlight some distinctive features of this phenomenon and to examine the case-study of female populist leader represented by Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska and 2008 nominee for vice-President of the United States of America. This contribution will touch upon the political language of the leaders, and also the still emerging subfield of political linguistics.