Charismatic Leadership: The Missing Element in Erdoğanism Studies?

The concept of charisma and Max Weber’s theory of charismatic authority were largely absent from the political science literature for an extended period. Charisma was often regarded as inadequate for understanding the routine—or, in Weberian terms, legal-rational—politics of contemporary democracies, being dismissed as primitive and archaic. However, the concept has recently resurfaced, coinciding with the rise of a "personalized leadership style." Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is frequently cited as a prime example of this phenomenon, owing to his ability to consistently expand his electoral base and, more importantly, his "transformative" influence on his supporters. This study revisits the concept and theory of charisma in modern contexts through a Neo-Weberian lens, while acknowledging that charisma can now be cultivated through public relations, propaganda, and modern communication tools. It empirically examines Erdoğan’s charismatic leadership—often described as "Erdoğanism"—and highlights the transformative nature of his authority during key moments of his leadership. The study positions charisma as a key element of populism, defined as a "thin ideology," and argues that the interplay between legal-rational and charismatic authority in Turkish politics during Erdoğan’s tenure cannot be fully understood without incorporating the concept of charisma.