Punitive populism refers to the idea that public support for more severe criminal justice policies (most specifically incarceration) has become a primary driver of policy making, as well as of political election cycles, with the result of increasingly harsh punishments regardless of their ability to reduce crime or redress its known correlates. This entry explores the concept of punitive populism, discusses its history in the United States and other countries, and analyzes some of its effects on criminal justice policies and social responses to crime.