Age of the strongman : how the cult of the leader threatens democracy around the world / Political leadership Authoritarianism World politics

Rachman, Gideon,

Age of the strongman : how the cult of the leader threatens democracy around the world / Gideon Rachman. - viii, 278 pages ; 24 cm.

Cover and spine title -- The age of the strongman.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

A sweeping, penetrating and first truly global explanation of the dangerous state of our world, by one of the best-connected, most respected reporters on international politics In The Age of the Strongman, Gideon Rachman finds global coherence in the chaos of the new nationalism, leadership cults and hostility to liberal democracy. We are in a new era- authoritarian leaders have become a central feature of global politics. Since 2000, self-styled strongmen have risen to power in capitals as diverse as Moscow, Beijing, Delhi, Brasilia, Budapest, Ankara, Riyadh and Washington. These leaders are nationalists and social conservatives, with little tolerance for minorities, dissent or the interests of foreigners. At home, they claim to be standing up for ordinary people against globalist elites; abroad, they posture as the embodiments of their nations. And everywhere they go, they encourage a cult of personality. What's more, these leaders are not just operating in authoritarian political systems but have begun to emerge in the heartlands of liberal democracy. While in the West the EU referendum and the election of Donald Trump in 2016 mark a watershed, the new era started at the beginning of the new millennium, when Vladimir Putin took power in Russia. How and why did this new style of strongman leadership arrive? How likely is it to lead the world into war or economic collapse? And what liberal forces are in place not only to keep these strongmen in check but to reverse the trend? With the world in the grip of a global pandemic and on the verge of environmental catastrophe, their actions have consequences not just for their nations but for the whole planet. From Trump, Putin and Bolsonaro to Erdogan, Xi and Modi, Gideon Rachman pays full attention to the strongman phenomenon around the world and uncovers the complex and often surprising interaction between these leaders.

9781847926425 (paperback) 9781847926418 (hardback) 184792641X

GBC219787 bnb


Political leadership--History--21st century.
Authoritarianism--History--21st century.
World politics--21st century.

303.34