October 06, 2022
The Rise of Personalist Leaders in Democracies
The rise of strongman leaders has become a defining trend in contemporary politics. Long confined to the realm of autocracies, strongmen have now come to dominate democracies too. In a variety of domains – ranging from media reporting to political campaigns – politics has become more personal, with elected leaders taking on outsized influence relative to their political parties or the institutions that surround them.
Yet, despite the uptick, the political consequences of the new personalist era are less understood, particularly in terms of what it means for democracy.
A new video explainer from CNAS explores why personalist leaders are becoming more prevalent and what it portends for democracy. Critically, it emphasizes that the rise of personalism helps explain the democratic setbacks we see today.
More from CNAS
-
Sharper: NATO 75
From July 9–11, NATO leaders from across the Atlantic will gather in Washington, DC for the 2024 NATO Summit, which marks the 75th anniversary of the alliance. This meeting wi...
By Anna Pederson, Anna Avanesyan & Charles Horn
-
Interpreting the Recent Turkish Elections with Asli Aydintaşbaş and Steven Cook
Just under a year ago, Turkish President Erdogan won another five years in power in the Turkish presidential election. Last week, however, local election results in Turkey del...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Aslı Aydıntaşbaş & Steven A. Cook
-
Macron’s Change in Tune and the War in Ukraine
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there has been a notable evolution in France’s approach toward Moscow. In the initial months following the invasion, Fr...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Tara Varma & Bruno Tertrais
-
NATO discusses plans for Europe without the U.S. or Putin
"The concern, is can we strengthen ourselves so that should the Russians win in Ukraine and that is something that might happen, Ukraine is fighting hard, but should that happ...
By Jim Townsend