Political Leadership and the Emergence of Radical Mass Movements in Democracy

The perception of liberal democracy as a solidly institutionalized system in which opposition forces moderately compete with legitimate authority is so fixed that people are often surprised when mass radicalism emerges. Why, when, and how do radical mass movements emerge in pluralist (or semipluralist) political systems? The article, by linking radical action at the mass level with strategic choices at the elite level, argues in favor of an explanation based on symbolic framing processes. Radical mass action is best explained by the symbolic-cum-strategic action of individual political entrepreneurs employing specific frames to mobilize large masses of people. The argument is empirically clarified by the examination of three cases in which mass radicalism occurred in recent decades (Greece, Yugoslavia, Venezuela) and is then counterfactually tested in six cases of nonoccurrence (Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania, Colombia, Ecuador). The present analysis also points to a novel theorization of political charisma and charismatic leadership.