In person icon Guardians or Demagogues? Party Leadership, Populism, and the Fate of Personalized Democracy

Abstract

In light of the growing democratic crises worldwide, characterized by widespread democratic backsliding, political parties serve as crucial gatekeepers for political leadership. This role is particularly vital as parties are tasked with safeguarding democracy (Levitsky & Ziblatt, 2018). At the same time, many political scientists have observed the increasing impact of individuals on politics, a phenomenon commonly known as the personalization and presidentialization of politics (see for example: Poguntke & Webb 2005; Musella, 2018; Garzia et al 2022; Rahat 2024), particularly within parliamentary systems. Consequently party leaders play a central role in shaping the health and direction of democratic systems. This panel focuses on the central role of party leaders as pivotal actors in their parties and in democratic governance, exploring the dual forces that influence political leadership: the imperative of democratic guardianship and the growing allure of populism. As the personalization of politics intensifies, charismatic party leaders increasingly embody their parties, they subsequently shape public perceptions, in part through their political speech and corresponding issue strategies (Ennser-Jedenastik et al., 2022). Parties, in turn, face the challenge of organizing their leadership to balance internal with external demands. This trend raises significant questions regarding political representation, as the concentration of power in individual leaders may influence how party leaders strategically present themselves (Saward 2014). In this panel, we would like to analyze party leaders' qualities, backgrounds, and rhetorical strategies, as well as their influence on democratic institutions and political processes. Key questions include: • To what extent do parties, and in particular their leaders, fulfill their role as guardians of democracies? • What are the dynamics in legislative speech and social media when it comes to populist rhetoric? • How do party leaders balance populist appeals with the need to protect democratic norms and institutions? • What are the implications of leadership personalization for political representation and intra-party democracy? • How do parties organize their leadership? The overall aim of this panel is to bring together the party leadership research community and stimulate an interesting discussion on urgent politics of party leaders. We look forward to receiving your contributions. Literature • Ennser-Jedenastik, L.; Haselmayer, M.; Huber, LM. and Fenz, M. (2022): “Who talks about what? Issue strategies across the party hierarchy.” European Journal of Political Research 61(3):842–852. • Garzia, D.; Ferreira da Silva, F.; and De Angelis, A. (2022): Partisan dealignment and the personalisation of politics in West European parliamentary democracies, 1961–2018. In: West European Politics (45/2). 311-334. • Levitsky, S. & Ziblatt, D. (2018): How Democracies Die. New York, NY: Crown. • Musella, F. (2018). Political leaders beyond party politics. Springer International Publishing. • Poguntke, T. and Webb, P. (2005): The Presidentialization of Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. • Rahat, G. (2024): Party Types in the Age of Personalized Politics, in: Perspective on Politics (22/1). 213-228. • Saward, M. (2014). Shape-shifting representation. American Political Science Review, 108(4), 723-736.

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