US Authoritarian Barometer Part II, Super Interesting! Have you heard of Patrimonialism?
- mfellbom
- Mar 19
- 2 min read
Adine sent a super interesting piece from "The Atlantic" written by Jonathan Rauch, contributing writer and a senior fellow in the Governance Studies program at the Brookings Institution.
To follow up on the last piece on US authoritarian tendencies, this one focuses on a concept elaborated by Max Weber, the author of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.
It's called Patrimonialism, the "default form of rule in the premodern world", a system where rulers claim to be the symbolic father of the people... Remember Trump's recent declaration "He who saves his country does not violate any law"??
According to the author : "Patrimonialism is less a form of government than a style of governing. It is not defined by institutions or rules; rather, it can infect all forms of government by replacing impersonal, formal lines of authority with personalized, informal ones. Based on individual loyalty and connections, and on rewarding friends and punishing enemies (real or perceived), it can be found not just in states but also among tribes, street gangs, and criminal organizations."
"Trump is patrimonialism’s perfect organism. He recognizes no distinction between what is public and private, legal and illegal, formal and informal, national and personal. “He can’t tell the difference between his own personal interest and the national interest, if he even understands what the national interest is,” John Bolton, who served as national security adviser in Trump’s first term, told The Bulwark."
"Patrimonialism explains what might otherwise be puzzling. Every policy the president cares about is his personal property. He broke with 50 years of practice by treating the Justice Department as “his personal law firm.” He halted proceedings against January 6 thugs and rioters because they are on his side. His agencies screen hires for loyalty to him rather than to the Constitution."
"Patrimonialism is corrupt by definition, because its reason for being is to exploit the state for gain—political, personal, and financial."
You have to read it... The author also gives a solution to the problem by suggesting, that the opposition (so far the Democrats) compile and prove how corrupt the Trump system is, which is something the Americans hate...
Thanks Adine!
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