Personalisation is the most relevant political phenomenon of our time. After the decline of structural and ideological foundations of Western democracies, a radical shift from collective to individual actors and institutions has occurred in several political systems. From the one hand political leaders have gained centrality on the democratic scene, as a consequence of both a more direct, sometimes plebiscitary, relationship with citizens, and a more direct control of the executive administration. From the other hand a process of fragmentation occurs at the mass level, where electoral volatility has strongly increased and especially after the spread of social media each citizen elaborates his convictions in the self-referential autonomy of the digital networks.
This book analyses the consequences of personalisation of political leaders on democratic government, by asking whether it is possible to keep together demos and kratos in a post-particratic context. It explores topics such as governmental decrees, Trump-governance, and analysis of the coronavirus outbreak. The book brings to the fore the study of political personalization in relation to some of the most important crises and trends in modern politics. It does so offering comparative insights, exploring how political leaders govern in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and Hungary.