Document Type
Articles
Abstract
This paper argues that the digital communication environment has qualitatively transformed the dynamics of populist leadership, moving it beyond a reliance on personal charisma. While the affective bonds between leaders and followers—explored by classical theorists like Weber, Freud, and Adorno—are not new, their operation within the platformed public sphere marks a distinct shift. We introduce the concept of Affective Populist Leadership (APL) to conceptualize this shift. APL is a mode of leadership sustained through the strategic cultivation and digital amplification of collective emotions. It operates through three mutually reinforcing mechanisms: (1) the perpetual theatrical framing of politics as crisis, (2) the use of emotion as a tool of governance, and (3) the cultivation of mediated intimacy through direct digital communication. The paper demonstrates how this framework creates a closed feedback loop that transforms public disorientation into loyalty, bypassing traditional institutions and eroding deliberative democratic norms. The APL model bridges historical theory and contemporary media studies, offering a new lens for analyzing how digital infrastructures reshape political authority. The conclusion discusses the implications for democratic resilience and outlines pathways for future empirical research.
Recommended Citation
Fianko-Ofori, Samuel and Apolima, Stephen
(2025)
"Beyond Charisma: A Critical Theory Perspective on Populist Leadership in a Post-COVID Age of Crisis,"
Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies: Vol. 4, Article 1.
Available at:
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/ijls/vol4/iss1/1
Included in
Leadership Studies Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons, Political Theory Commons