ABSTRACT
A demagogue is a charismatic leader who uses inflammatory rhetoric based on prejudice or misinformation to mobilize a constituency to action. As Allport writes, “Demagogues play up false issues to divert public attention from true issues” (1954:410). Thus demagoguery is a form of scapegoating. Successful demagogues usually appear supremely self-confident, powerful, and knowledgeable; yet some demagogues can also come across as accessible and friendly.
