In the last decade or so, global politics began moving towards highly emotive, personality-driven territory. American scholars such as Steven Hassan, in his research on authoritarian control and cult dynamics, and Ruth Ben-Ghiat, in her work on ‘strongman’ politics, have described this form of governance using terminology traditionally reserved for fringe cults.

This comparison serves as an analytical framework for understanding how certain modern political groups operate. In a recent piece for The Guardian, the American journalist Rachel Leingang highlighted the emergence of support networks, such as ‘Leaving Maga’, which assist disillusioned members in leaving the populist Maga (Make America Great Again) movement. Leingang wrote that walking away from contemporary populist movements often resembles breaking an addiction or escaping a high-control cult.

The dynamics that define such movements include total devotion to a messianic figure, deep social enclosure and an all-encompassing identity. Donald Trump’s Maga movement in the United States, Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India and Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) are prominent examples, along with similar movements across the globe, such as Javier Milei’s La Libertad Avanza in Argentina and Bolsonarismo [political movement tied to Jair Bolsonaro] in Brazil.

At the core of any movement described as ‘cult-like’ is a charismatic leader. As the early 20th century German sociologist Max Weber observed, charismatic authority relies on followers projecting extraordinary, almost supernatural qualities on to a figurehead.

Charismatic leaders, digital echo chambers and the politics of absolute loyalty are defining features of contemporary populist movements, walking away from which often resembles breaking an addiction or escaping a high-control cult

Charismatic leaders, digital echo chambers and the politics of absolute loyalty are defining features of contemporary populist movements, walking away from which often resembles breaking an........

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