The Rise of Despotic Majoritarianism

Authors

  • Benjamin Abrams

Abstract

Two maladies which have been incipient in Democracy since its birth have finally struck at once. The 'Tyranny of the Majority', and 'Administrative Despotism' – first identified by Alexis de Tocqueville almost two centuries ago– have combined in the form of a new, much more threatening democratic mutation. We are witnessing the rise of 'Despotic Majoritarianism', in which citizens are simultaneously given less and less say the political process, just as more and more is being done in their name. This surgent strain of democratic disease threatens a broad spectrum of democracies within or founded upon Western systems.

Published

2024-11-13

Issue

Section

Articles