Demagogues in American Politics by Charles U. Zug

The rise of authoritarian and charismatic populists has given rise to interdisciplinary interest in the vexed topic of demagogues—a term that has long had multiple definitions. Initially, it was a neutral term, meaning someone who was a leader of the Athenian non-elite (the demes). For classical authors like Aristophanes or Thucydides, a demagogue might be good (Pericles) or bad (Cleon). In Rhetoric, Aristotle seems to characterize a demagogue by rhetorical strategy (flattery), but in Politics, a demagogue is almost a structural phenomenon, arising when the rich oppress the poor. For an elitist like Plutarch, a demagogue was necessarily a rash and irresponsible aspiring tyrant. In short, even among “classical” treatments of demagoguery, there were conflicting ways of identifying a demagogue, such as political power base, motive, rhetorical strategies, policy agenda. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages. Thus, when talking about a demagogue or demagoguery, the first question...