Political strongman

British journalist Gideon Rachman described Vladimir Putin as "the archetype and the model" for modern political strongmen.[1]

In politics, a strongman is a type of authoritarian political leader — civilian or military — who exerts control through military enforcement and has, or has claimed to have, strong popular support. Strongmen typically claim to have widespread popular support, portray themselves as the only one capable of solving the country's problems, and espouse a disdain for liberalism and democracy.

  1. ^ Rachman 2022a, p. 25.