The Touch of the Leader: A sensorial account of representation in plebiscitary leader democracy

While theories of representation have begun problematizing the relationship between democracy and representation in the last one and a half decade, relatively little attention has been paid to political settings that can neither be considered fully democratic, nor are closed autocracies. The paper aims to contribute to this area of study, by elaborating on the concept of plebiscitary leader democracy (PLD), originally developed by Max Weber, and taken up by contemporary scholars to describe the “grey zone” mentioned above. We argue that Weber’s original, elitistic view of representation (which can be described in broad terms with the following scheme: authorization at elections – acting for the represented – taking responsibility at the next election) can be complemented by an element of responsiveness that, while in line with his skepticism about the possibility of a “self-government of the people”, still pushes the original theory in a more democratic direction. The paper captures this element of responsiveness by giving a novel sensorial account of representation, by focusing on the „touch of the leader”, understood in a strictly metaphorical sense. This tactile metaphor might provide an alternative to the traditional „vocal model” where the „voice of the people” (to be heard at elections and protests) is at the center; and to the visual one (present in the writings of constructivist theorists like Ankersmit or Saward), that likens representative claims to the process of depicting or portraying. Applied as an analytical lens, the tactile metaphor can complement our understanding of the central role of leadership in forming the perceptions of the represented (inherent in the Weberian notion of charisma, a central part of PLD). At the same time, it also implies a form of popular presence missing from the vocal and visual metaphors through the proximity of toucher and touched, and their close interaction. On this account, representation in PLD is, in an important sense, negative similitude, a partial imprint that popular attitudes leave on the actions of the representatives. Such an account, by emphasizing the formative role of leadership and the strong asymmetry between representatives and represented, still shares the most important Weberian premises. At the same time, responsiveness as „being in touch” with the represented, even without them protesting vocally, goes beyond the original Weberian idea of representation (that posited the absence of the represented between elections), and the concomitant „minimalist conception of democracy”, by putting less emphasis on the moments of elections, and assuming a diachronic exploration of popular attitudes. Therefore, a tactile account could yield a realistic critical ideal of tactfulness (borrowed from the „carnal hermeneutics” of Richard Kearney, and given a specific political meaning) for the setting of PLD. This ideal, while obviously falling short of leaders continuously consulting the popular voice, still provides a more realistic goal to aim at in contexts where the judgement of the represented is far from autonomous, and the popular voice is, at best, feeble – conditions presumed by PLD.