{"id":78642,"date":"2022-09-09T13:08:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-09T17:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=78642"},"modified":"2022-09-12T15:23:59","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T19:23:59","slug":"strongman-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/strongman-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Strongman Leaders: A Dangerous Trend We Shouldn’t Ignore"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What does “strongman leader” mean? What makes citizens vote for them? And what does this mean for democracy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strongman leaders are authoritarian leaders who mask their dictator-like actions behind a facade of democracy. From Russia\u2019s Vladimir Putin to India\u2019s Narendra Modi, these apparent autocrats have gained widespread appeal and are increasingly shaping global politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn more about strongman leaders, their characteristics, and why they pose a threat to freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Strongmen: The New Authoritarian Leaders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the past, it was easy to spot authoritarians\u2014they used brute force and blatant fascism to concentrate power. But today\u2019s strongman leaders have learned from the mistakes of ousted autocrats and recognize that subtlety is the best strategy for longevity and impunity. According to some observers, they now maintain a veneer of democracy while stealthily furthering their own agendas<\/strong>\u2014for example, they\u2019ve set up organizations masquerading as citizen groups<\/a> lobbying for their government on the international stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More specifically, the new authoritarian employs what journalist Mois\u00e9s Na\u00edm calls the \u201c3P\u201d traits<\/a> to amass power: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Populism: <\/strong>A strongman leader is bolstered by a cult of personality, appealing to common citizens and making them feel like he\u2019s one of them. He manages to do this in paradoxical ways: While he may have a macho, alpha-male personality, he also plays the victim to gain people\u2019s sympathy<\/a>\u2014for example, the US\u2019s Donald Trump<\/a> and Italy\u2019s Silvio Berlusconi<\/a> both claimed they were victims of a witch hunt. To give them a positive image both domestically and abroad, strongmen also hire public relations firms<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, Rachman (The Age of the Strongman<\/em>) says that the new authoritarians tend to be \u201cnostalgic nationalists\u201d\u2014they inspire nationalistic fervor by promising to bring back their country\u2019s glory days. For example, Donald Trump\u2019s stated aim was to \u201cmake America great again\u201d; other leaders like Russia\u2019s Valdimir Putin and China\u2019s Xi Jinping<\/a> have expressed similar sentiments for their own countries. According to some, one damaging by-product of this nationalist fixation is their tendency to be climate change skeptics<\/a>: Their nationalist aims aren\u2019t aligned with big issues requiring international cooperation, so they deny that climate change is a problem or downplay it by saying it\u2019s a globalist plot to take advantage of the masses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Polarization: <\/strong>Strongmen often trumpet an \u201cus versus them\u201d narrative; there is no longer a political middle ground<\/a>. Anyone seen as disagreeing with them can\u2019t be trusted and must thus be kept out of power by any means, write Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt in How Democracies Die<\/em><\/a>.<\/em> An example of this in action is the January 6 insurrection<\/a>, which attempted to overturn the results of the US presidential election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Post-truth<\/a> politics: <\/strong>Many accuse strongman leaders of muddying the waters with disinformation\u2014leveraging the internet and social media\u2014to create public confusion about what is true. As Imelda Marcos, wife of deposed Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., says, \u201cPerception is real, but the truth is not.\u201d<\/a> (It\u2019s worth noting that the Marcoses themselves have apparently learned from their past mistakes. After being booted out of the country in 1986, the family is back in power: Ferdinand Jr. won the 2022 presidential election through a campaign that relied heavily on historical revisionism<\/a> and misinformation. His sister is a senator, and his son\u2014a rookie member of congress\u2014is now the senior deputy majority leader<\/a>.)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strongman Leaders Around the World<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Experts say this three-pronged approach has enabled today\u2019s authoritarians to chip away at democratic norms<\/a>, from Europe to Latin America to Asia:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia:<\/strong> Putin has imprisoned political foes<\/a> based on drummed-up charges. Observers opine that he\u2019s so used to getting his way<\/a> that no one could discourage him from invading Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turkey: <\/strong>Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued presidential decrees<\/a> to give him virtually unlimited, unchecked control over the levers of government. He has also jailed journalists<\/a> and promoted patronage politics<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brazil:<\/strong> Jair Bolsonaro has restricted access to government information<\/a>, attacked the Supreme Court, and supported policies that undermine the rights of women<\/a> and the disabled. He baselessly claims that there will be electoral fraud in the October 2022 elections, undercutting people\u2019s faith in the process and setting the stage for a protest should he lose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philippines:<\/strong> Erstwhile president Rodrigo Duterte launched a \u201cwar on drugs<\/a>,\u201d which resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings. Rather than resorting to the old-authoritarian tactic of censorship, he branded a news site that was critical of him as \u201cfake news\u201d<\/a> and openly admits to closing down a TV network<\/a> that got on his bad side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

India: <\/strong>Under Narendra Modi, India passed a controversial citizenship law<\/a>, seen as discriminatory against Muslims. Modi also granted government agencies the power to monitor all computers<\/a> in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saudi Arabia:<\/strong> Mohammed bin Salman (popularly known as MBS) has cracked down on dissenters<\/a> and liberals such as women\u2019s rights advocates and arrested some of the countries\u2019 richest people allegedly for corruption. Many are too afraid to speak up<\/a> against him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freedom House lists other strongman leaders installed through farcical elections (such as Nicaragua\u2019s Daniel Ortega<\/a>) and power grabs by those emboldened by international apathy (the Sudan military seizing control<\/a> of the government). It also mentions countries benefiting from alliances with and assistance from other strongman-led nations (for example, the Maduro regime in Venezuela<\/a> has had help from Russia, China, Cuba, Iran, and Turkey). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why People Are Voting Them Into Power<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Despite all this, many strongman leaders are still coming into power by democratic means\u2014even though some places may have sham elections, voters in other countries are still legitimately electing autocrats. But why? Aside from being influenced by the 3Ps, people may support these leaders for the following reasons:  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reason #1: Socio-Economic Factors<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Research suggests that countries with bigger wealth gaps are more likely to choose \u201cstrong leaders.\u201d<\/a> This may be because people attribute economic inequality<\/a> to a breakdown in society and in government, and they believe a strongman\u2019s hardline approach can fix whatever is wrong. To them, a vote for a strongman leader is a hopeful vote for change<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other research suggests that levels of education are a big factor in voting preferences<\/a>: The more highly educated a country\u2019s citizens are, the lower the likelihood that they\u2019ll vote for an authoritarian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reason #2: Fear<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The desire for an authoritarian leader can also emerge when people who are comfortable with the status quo are afraid of change<\/strong> and their potential loss of power. As historian and author Ruth Ben-Ghiat<\/a> asserts, periods of social progress (in gender and race equity, for example) are typically met with some pushback<\/a>. Rachman points out that it isn\u2019t a coincidence that all<\/em> the new authoritarians are men<\/a>, an indication of the backlash against women\u2019s progress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People\u2019s fear of the coronavirus pandemic also gave leaders a golden opportunity<\/a> to concentrate power: They knew people would be more willing to give up some freedoms in exchange for safety<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stemming the Tide of New Authoritarianism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To reverse the trend towards strongman leaders, Freedom House says that it\u2019s crucial to increase international coordination and develop policies<\/a> that strengthen democratic systems and safeguard the freedoms and well-being of each country\u2019s people. But more than developing policies, experts believe that it may be time to rethink democracy.<\/strong> They note that merely holding elections every few years is an outdated model as it doesn\u2019t lead to an accurate representation of the will of the people, particularly on divisive issues. It\u2019s necessary to revisit democratic institutions and systems that were established in the 19th century and restructure them to meet today\u2019s challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What does “strongman leader” mean? What makes citizens vote for them? And what does this mean for democracy? Strongman leaders are authoritarian leaders who mask their dictator-like actions behind a facade of democracy. From Russia\u2019s Vladimir Putin to India\u2019s Narendra Modi, these apparent autocrats have gained widespread appeal and are increasingly shaping global politics. Read on to learn more about strongman leaders, their characteristics, and why they pose a threat to freedom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":78655,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[275,24],"tags":[727],"class_list":["post-78642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","category-society","tag-articles","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nStrongman Leaders: A Dangerous Trend We Shouldn't Ignore - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Who are the strongman leaders in the world? Why is authoritarianism a new political trend? 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