Charismatic Leadership Amidst Protracted Conflicts: Narendra Modi & Benjamin Netanyahu

Abstract

Across the globe, democratic nations have seen the recent rise of right-wing populist leaders who have transformed the liberal foundations of their governments, steering them towards authoritarian regimes. This research utilizes the case studies of Narendra Modi in India and Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel to exemplify this global phenomenon. Specifically, it employs the lens of “charismatic legitimacy,” a term coined by sociologist Max Weber, to understand Modi and Netanyahu’s enduring political dominance spanning over three decades. In particular, the study views the evolution of their governments through the lens of a specific subtype of charismatic legitimacy termed as "plebiscitary leadership democracy." This classification denotes a form of governance led by an autocratic leader, blending democratic procedures with authoritarian tendencies.

India and Israel, two democratic nations born in the aftermath of the British colonial departure and the subsequent partition of their respective regions in 1947, have grappled with the challenge of reconciling democratic principles within their ethnically divided societies. Furthermore, both countries continue to contend with prolonged border disputes in Kashmir and the West Bank, stemming from the failures of their respective partitions. These prevailing circumstances in both nations give them a predisposition towards heightened ethnic strife, offering an ideal opportunity for illiberal leaders such as Modi and Netanyahu to exploit these divides for their own political gain.

By constructing an empirical definition of charismatic legitimacy from Max Weber’s seminal work, alongside insight from other scholars in the field, this study employs a four-pronged definition to analyze Modi and Netanyahu’s claim to charismatic legitimacy. The findings reveal that both leaders meet the criteria of charismatic leadership within democratic contexts and, through their extended tenures, have effectively molded their governments into plebiscitary leader democracies.