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Journals / Uluslararası Liderlik Çalışmaları Dergisi: Kuram ve Uygulama / 2025 / Cilt: 8 Sayı: 3

Leader Cult, Charisma, and Political Legitimacy: Contemporary Populism from a Weberian Perspective

Lider Kültü, Karizma ve Siyasal Meşruiyet: Weberyen Perspektiften Günümüz Popülizmi

Muhammed Ramazan Demirci(GİRESUN ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-6726-7370
Pages
106–126
Publication Date
2025-12-29
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

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⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

In conclusion, Weber’s century-old concept of charismatic authority provides a powerful lens to understand contemporary populist leadership.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study explores the rise of populist leadership forms since the 2000s by drawing on Max Weber’s concept of charismatic authority.
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Key Findings & Data:Findings suggest that today’s populist leaders reconstruct charismatic authority through personalized narratives, symbols, and image strategies.
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Conclusion & Impact:In conclusion, Weber’s century-old concept of charismatic authority provides a powerful lens to understand contemporary populist leadership.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Karizmatik otorite · popülist liderlik · siyasal meşruiyet

Abstract

This study explores the rise of populist leadership forms since the 2000s by drawing on Max Weber’s concept of charismatic authority. Through the cases of Donald Trump (USA), Narendra Modi (India), and Jair Bolsonaro (Brazil), it examines how charismatic authority is reconstructed in contemporary politics, how populism reinforces this authority type, and how charisma-based claims to legitimacy interact with democratic institutions. The study employs discourse analysis and comparative case study methods, focusing on political rhetoric and practices. The literature review is grounded in recent international scholarship on Weberian authority types, charismatic leadership, populism, and crises of political representation. Findings suggest that today’s populist leaders reconstruct charismatic authority through personalized narratives, symbols, and image strategies. Populist discourse built on the antagonism between “the people” and “the elites” strengthens their claims to legitimacy. While charisma-based legitimacy aligns with a majoritarian understanding of democracy, it structurally conflicts with liberal democratic norms such as the rule of law, separation of powers, and institutional oversight. The study argues that populist charismatic leadership is shaped not only by individual traits but also by systemic crises in political representation. This leadership style fosters direct mobilization while weakening democratic institutions and encouraging authoritarian tendencies. In conclusion, Weber’s century-old concept of charismatic authority provides a powerful lens to understand contemporary populist leadership. However, in the digital era, where media technologies and ideological populism converge, this form of authority poses serious challenges to liberal democracies.

Özet

Bu çalışma, Max Weber’in karizmatik otorite kavramına dayanarak, 2000 sonrası dönemde yükselen popülist liderlik biçimlerini incelemektedir. Donald Trump (ABD), Narendra Modi (Hindistan) ve Jair Bolsonaro (Brezilya) örnekleri üzerinden, çağdaş siyaset sahnesinde karizmatik otoritenin nasıl yeniden inşa edildiği, popülizmin bu otorite biçimini nasıl güçlendirdiği ve karizma temelli meşruiyet iddialarının demokratik kurumlarla nasıl ilişkilendiği ele alınmaktadır. Çalışma, söylem analizi ve karşılaştırmalı vaka yöntemiyle, liderlerin siyasal söylemleri ve pratiklerine odaklanmaktadır. Literatür taraması, Weberyen otorite tipolojileri, karizmatik liderlik, popülizm ve siyasal temsil krizine dair güncel uluslararası akademik kaynaklara dayanmaktadır. Bulgular, günümüz popülist liderlerinin karizmatik otoriteyi kişiselleştirilmiş anlatılar, semboller ve imaj stratejileriyle yeniden inşa ettiğini göstermektedir. “Halk” ile “seçkinler” karşıtlığına dayalı popülist söylemler, meşruiyet iddialarını güçlendirmektedir. Karizma temelli meşruiyet, çoğunlukçu bir demokrasi anlayışıyla örtüşürken; hukuk devleti, kuvvetler ayrılığı ve kurumsal denetim gibi liberal normlarla yapısal bir gerilim içerisindedir. Sonuç olarak, Weber’in bir yüzyıl önce ortaya koyduğu karizmatik otorite kavramı günümüz liderliğini anlamada güçlü bir çerçeve sunmaktadır; ancak dijital çağın medya teknolojileri ve ideolojik popülizmiyle birleştiğinde, liberal demokrasilere ciddi meydan okumalar getirmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Demirci, M. R. (2025). Leader Cult, Charisma, and Political Legitimacy: Contemporary Populism from a Weberian Perspective. Uluslararası Liderlik Çalışmaları Dergisi: Kuram ve Uygulama, Cilt: 8 Sayı: 3, 106–126. https://doi.org/10.52848/ijls.1716325

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