Strongman

The Extraordinary Leaders of India and the Philippines

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6170681
AutoresArild Engelsen Ruud (0000-0002-4545-3690, University of Oslo, autor de correspondencia)
Año2023
Volumen11
Número1
Páginas27-38
Fecha de publicación2023-06-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaStudies in Indian Politics (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2321-0230 • E-ISSN: 2321-7472
EditorialSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/23210230231166184
OpenAlexW4380883884
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4
Referencias citadas37

Both Narendra Modi and Rodrigo Duterte stand out as leaders that epitomise their respective reigns in ways that previous leaders did not. A juxtaposition of their political personae allows us to investigate a contemporary political phenomenon, that of the elected strongman leader. This article makes three points from this juxtaposition: (a) They presided over a period of ‘democratic backsliding’. (b) They came with social media. (c) They are their own message and that message is that they are extraordinary leaders, above ordinary constraints. This article concludes that they represent strongman politics—where they as their people’s representative engage in acts symbolic of the people’s sovereignty. In an age of discontent with democracy, new and social media have allowed them to portray themselves as true defenders of ‘the people

Democracy · Epistemology · Media studies · Phenomenon · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Social media · Sociology · Sovereignty · Law · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East · South Asian Cinema and Culture