You hear it every election cycle. A candidate stands in a diner, holding a lukewarm coffee, wearing a flannel shirt that looks like it was bought twenty minutes ago. The commentator on the screen nods and calls them a "populist" or, more commonly, a man of the people. But what does that actually mean? Is it about where you grew up, how much money is in your bank account, or just a vibe you project while eating a corn dog at a state fair?
Honestly, the man of the people meaning is one of the most slippery concepts in our language.
It’s a bit of a paradox. To be a "man of the people," you usually have to be powerful. But to be powerful, you often have to be separate from "the people." It’s a tightrope walk. You have to prove you understand the struggles of the average person while simultaneously being the one person capable of fixing them.
Where the Phrase Actually Comes From
We can’t talk about this without looking at the Roman Republic. Back then, you had two main factions: the Optimates and the Populares. The Populares were the ones who sought support from the common people rather than the elite Senate.
Think of Julius Caesar.
He was an aristocrat. He had money. He had lineage. Yet, he was the ultimate man of the people because he championed land reform and grain distribution. He spoke their language. This is the root of the man of the people meaning—it isn't about being "common," it's about being an advocate for the commoner.
It’s a performance. It always has been.
If you look at the Oxford English Dictionary, the definition is pretty dry: "A man who is or claims to be a representative of the interests of the common people."
The word "claims" is doing a lot of heavy lifting there.
The Aesthetic vs. The Reality
We often confuse the "man of the people" with someone who is simply "relatable."
Take Abraham Lincoln. He’s the gold standard. He was born in a log cabin. He split rails. He was literally a man of the people by birth. But he was also a highly sophisticated corporate lawyer for the railroads before he became President. His "Honest Abe" persona was deeply authentic, but he also knew exactly how to use his humble origins to win over voters who felt ignored by the coastal elites of the 1860s.
Then you have someone like Franklin D. Roosevelt.
He was born into incredible wealth. He had a silver spoon. He spoke with a Mid-Atlantic accent that screamed "old money." Yet, during the Great Depression, he was seen as the ultimate man of the people. Why? Because of his policies. The New Deal felt like it was written for the person losing their farm, not the banker in New York.
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This tells us something crucial: the man of the people meaning isn't tied to your tax bracket. It’s tied to your perceived empathy.
The Common Traps and Misconceptions
People get this wrong all the time. They think if a billionaire eats at McDonald's, they are a man of the people. That’s just branding.
True populist appeal—which is what we’re really talking about—requires a shared enemy. You can’t be a man of the people if you don't have a "them" to fight against. Whether it’s "the establishment," "big tech," "the woke mob," or "corporate greed," the man of the people needs a dragon to slay for the benefit of the village.
The "Pub Test"
In the UK and Australia, they call this the "pub test." Could you see yourself having a pint with this person?
It’s a weird metric.
You’re not hiring a drinking buddy; you’re hiring a leader. But humans are tribal. We want to know that the person in charge shares our values. We want to know they know the price of a gallon of milk. When George H.W. Bush supposedly didn't recognize a grocery store scanner in 1992, it killed his "man of the people" vibe, even though the story was largely a misunderstanding of the technology he was actually looking at.
Nuance rarely survives a good headline.
Why It’s Not Just for Men Anymore
Despite the gendered origins of the phrase, the man of the people meaning has evolved to include anyone who positions themselves as an outsider fighting for the masses.
Margaret Thatcher did this. She was the daughter of a grocer. She used that "Gratham shopkeeper" mentality to dismantle what she saw as an inefficient state. She wasn't just a leader; she was one of "us" (the hard-working middle class) fighting "them" (the unions and the bureaucrats).
More recently, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez used her background as a bartender to establish immediate credibility. She didn't just talk about the working class; she had the callouses to prove it.
The Psychology of the Populist
Why do we fall for it? Even when it’s clearly a stunt?
Psychologists often point to "social identity theory." We want to belong to a group. When a leader says, "I am one of you," they are offering us a seat at the table of power.
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It’s comforting.
- Mirroring: They use the slang we use.
- Vulnerability: They talk about their failures or their humble beginnings.
- Simplicity: They don't use 10-cent words when a 2-cent word will do.
But there is a dark side.
When a leader claims to be the only true representative of the people, they imply that anyone who opposes them is an "enemy of the people." This is where the man of the people meaning shifts from a charming character trait to something more authoritarian. Jan-Werner Müller, a professor at Princeton, argues in his book What is Populism? that this claim to "exclusive representation" is the core of the danger.
If I am the people, and you hate me, you must hate the people.
It’s a powerful, albeit dangerous, rhetorical move.
Real-World Examples That Stuck
- José Mujica: The former President of Uruguay. He lived on a ramshackle farm, drove a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle, and gave away 90% of his salary. He didn't just talk the talk; he lived it.
- Harry Truman: The "Man from Missouri." He was a failed haberdasher who ended up in the Oval Office. He kept a sign on his desk: "The buck stops here." He felt like a neighbor who happened to have the nuclear codes.
- John F. Kennedy: Total opposite. Wealthy, Harvard-educated, glamorous. Yet, through his rhetoric and his focus on the "New Frontier," he managed to inspire a generation of average Americans to feel like they were part of his mission.
How to Spot a Fake
In an era of social media, everyone is trying to be a "man of the people." Your favorite celebrity posts a "no-makeup" selfie from their $15 million mansion. A CEO tweets about how "we're all in this together" while laying off 10% of the workforce.
Kinda gross, right?
To truly understand the man of the people meaning, you have to look past the flannel and the diners.
Ask yourself:
Do their policies actually benefit the people they claim to represent? Or are they just using the aesthetic of the working class to gain power for the elite?
There’s a massive difference between a leader who listens to the people and a leader who just mimics them. One is a servant; the other is an actor.
The Role of Language
The way a "man of the people" speaks is usually very specific.
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They avoid jargon. They use metaphors involving tools, farming, or sports. They tell stories.
Research from the University of Birmingham suggests that populist leaders often use more "clusivity"—words like "we," "us," and "our"—to create a sense of shared destiny. It’s not "I will fix the economy." It’s "We are going to take our country back."
It’s inclusive. It’s warm. It’s also incredibly effective at bypassing the logical part of our brains and hitting the emotional part.
Why We Still Need Them
Despite the potential for manipulation, the "man of the people" archetype is essential for a functioning democracy.
Why?
Because the "experts" and the "elites" often do lose touch. They get caught up in data and spreadsheets and forget that those numbers represent actual human beings with rent to pay and kids to feed. A true man of the people acts as a corrective. They force the system to look at the people it's supposed to serve.
They are the bridge.
Actionable Takeaways for the Modern Voter
Understanding the man of the people meaning isn't just an academic exercise. It’s a tool for cutting through the noise. Next time you see a politician or a public figure trying to play this card, do a quick audit.
Check the History
Look at their track record before they ran for office. Were they involved in community organizing? Did they work a "normal" job? Or did they spend their entire life in the halls of power only to "discover" their love for the common man right before an election?
Follow the Money
Who is funding them? If a "man of the people" is being bankrolled by the very people they claim to be fighting, it’s a red flag. Real populists usually have a donor base of small-dollar contributors.
Listen for the "Enemy"
Is their message about lifting people up, or is it about tearing someone else down? A genuine representative of the people focuses on progress. A demagogue focuses on grievance.
Watch the Lifestyle
Do they actually live among the people? Or do they retreat to a gated community the second the cameras are off? There is a reason José Mujica is so respected—his lifestyle was a reflection of his values, not a PR strategy.
The man of the people meaning is ultimately about trust. It’s the belief that someone in a position of power actually sees you. Whether that trust is earned or stolen is something you have to decide for yourself every time you look at a ballot or a news feed.
Don't let the flannel fool you, but don't let the cynical view of "all politicians are the same" blind you to the ones who actually care. They do exist. They're just usually too busy working to spend all day telling you how much of a "man of the people" they are.