Define Populism. Can populism ever be democratic?

Populism separates societies into two homogenous and antagonistic groups: the corrupt elites and the pure people. Populists claim that they alone represent the will of the people, implying that opponents are illegitimate political actors. This anti-elitism and anti-pluralism often goes hand in hand with oversimplifications of the political processes.
By channeling the will of the people into political action, populists claim that they are the purest democratic actors. But modern democracy - or liberal democracy - is defined by the checks and balances to majority rule such as minority rights, separation of powers, and the rule of law. Populists oppose these features because they mediate the will of the people. The inherent anti-pluralism of populism also makes it incompatible with political party-based representative democracy.