Personalization in Political Leadership: An Analysis of Vladimir Putin

Year 2019, Volume: 1 Issue: 1, 45 - 60, 31.12.2019

Sertan Akbaba

Abstract

For many years, the argument persists that we have entered a leader’s era. Political leadership has taken pole
position in political and social life when compared with political parties or their ideologies. Whether
Presidentialization or Prime Ministerial Predominance, the personification rests on a single individual, portrait,
or dominant figure solemnly embraced by the masses. Such a political emergence has been witnessed in
numerous countries and has recently gained the attention of political science researchers. At this point, the aim
of this study is to understand how personification has come to be so prevalent in political and social life and
how political leaders both motivate and inspire their people to represent their beloved countries. To answer
this question, the transformational leadership theory is scrutinized within the case of Vladimir Putin. The
evaluation of this theory rests on its main assumption, which is posed as a leadership model shaped around a
personalized charismatic leader. This is tested via a discourse analysis of Vladimir Putin.

Keywords

Transformational Leadership, Personification, Political leadership, Leader effects, Vladimir Putin

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