Demagogue by Michael Signer

With a title like that, I was expecting a strident book full of forceful opinions with an array of historical examples. Instead, it was a lot of name dropping and a distinct lack of commitment to all but the core idea. While I did learn stuff, at the end, I was disappointed by the lack of substance in the book, there was so much more he could’ve done with it.
While the book slants towards America, it has global implications. He defines a demagogue with a strict 4 point criteria, based upon popularity with the masses and circumventing the law. He lists a number of demagogues past and present, but only explores a few. The historical ones, such as Hitler and Cleon of Athens, are used mainly to show how they affected various philosophers and political scientist/commentators. He avoids labeling any American presidents as such, despite saying that Bush and Andrew Jackson came closest. But Senators Joseph McCarthy and Huey Long definitely fit the bill. The latter was a sort of Depression-era Robin Hood, making me curious enough for further reading on him. There are more leaders which are listed as demagogues, but aren’t expanded upon, unfortunately.
The author maintains the seeds of demagoguery are within democracy, and only the vigilance of a knowledgeable citizenry will prevent it. This is done by a strong grounding in constitutionalism, which he defines as not only a document, but a form of behavior, “…the culture that fights concentrated authority, it is a constant warning, in the peoples’ hearts and minds, to those who would be strongmen.” He uses the writings of such varied sources as Plato, de Toqueville, Hannah Arendt and Walt Whitman as backup.
In the middle of the book, Signer loses his way, going off on comparisons of the two Bush presidents and political commentators, Irving Kristol and his son Bill. This sets him off on a rant about current American neocons and their “foreign policy of arrogance”, most notably in Iraq, with their view of democracy as a metaphysical idea. While I agreed with this, it had only a distant connection with the main focus, especially since he danced around Bush’s own demagogue-ish tendencies.
Towards the end, it’s as if the author ran out of steam & becomes repetitious. He never brings his theory to a conclusion, nor does he suggest possible actions to thwart demagogues already in power. Despite an intriguing premise and a riveting cover, the book does not fulfill its promise, leaving the reader feeling let down and frowning.

Palgrave Macmillan 2009 272 pp. ISBN-13;978-0-230-60624-1

Jackie, a lifelong liberal, is a wildlife artist. You can see her work here