When the Leader Fails: Charismatic Leadership as Interpreted by the Far Right

• In Event: Political Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Political Institutions (Table 20)

Abstract

According to Max Weber’s theorizing on the charismatic leader, the central prerequisite for the realization of charisma rests in the follower’s recognition of the leader’s extraordinary capabilities and unconditional success in bringing well-being to the followers. While Weber contends that charisma dissipates when the leader fails in an important endeavor, this article complicates this fundamental aspect of the concept by examining a case in which charisma was preserved despite the leader’s exhibition of definitionally anti-charismatic characteristics. Drawing on 44 semi-structured interviews with far-right individuals, including several public figures, I examine interpretations of Donald Trump’s leadership qualities in light of his lack of electoral success in the 2020 general election. I find that far-right individuals mitigate the discomfort of dissonance through interpretive processes that rely on symbolic resources (e.g., story-creation, conspiracies, etc.) to protect and maintain Trump’s charismatic appeal. I conclude with a discussion on the importance of uncovering the instrumental facets of charisma in order to improve current understandings of far-right dispositions and followers’ interpretations of political leadership.

Author

• Anthony Vincent Albanese, Georgia Southern University - East Georgia