Personalisation is the most relevant political phenomenon of our time. After the decline of
structural and ideological foundations of Western democracies a radical shift from collective
to individual actors and institutions has occurred in several political systems. On the one
hand political leaders have gained centrality on the democratic scene as a consequence of both
a more direct sometimes plebiscitary relationship with citizens and a more direct control of
the executive administration. On the other hand a process of fragmentation occurs at the mass
level where electoral volatility has strongly increased and the spread of social media enables
each citizen to express their convictions in the self-referential autonomy of the digital
networks. Monocratic Government: The Impact of Personalisation on Democratic Regimes analyses
the consequences of personalisation of political leaders on democratic government by asking
whether it is possible to keep together demos and kratos in a post-particratic context. It
explores topics such as governmental decrees Trump-governance and includes an analysis of the
coronavirus outbreak. Offering comparative insights and exploring how political leaders govern
in the United States France Germany Italy and Hungary this volume brings into focus the
study of political personalisation in relation to some of the key trends - and crises - in
modern politics.
