In “American hybrid: Donald Trump and the strange merger of populism and plutocracy,” Paul Pierson acknowledges that “Trump somewhat improved the GOP’s already strong support among white working-class voters, especially older men, especially in rural America, and especially in the electorally decisive Midwest.”  Yet Pierson cautions us not to exaggerate “the dimensions of the populist wave in American society” (S109).  Why is Pierson skeptical of claims that Trump is a populist?  Why does he characterize Trump as a “hybrid” figure who merges populism with plutocracy?