Let’s Talk About-The Illiberal Face of America

Good timing from The Atlantic Magazine. I had already included the concept of Patrimonialism in my upcoming course at the UC Riverside Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

The term traces back to German sociologist Max Weber.

“In essence, Patrimonialism refers to a system where the leader treats the government as their own personal project based on “individual loyalty.” The opposite of bureaucracy, it is based around more informal leadership.”

“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.”

Johnathan Rauch

THE COURSE

It’s historic. The country’s illiberal/anti-liberal tendencies can be traced back to the founding. It is even evidenced through the review of the nation’s long held affinity with authoritarian foreign dictators. Utilizing the scholarship of Steven Hahn, Jacob Heilbrunn, Robert Kagan, Federico Finchelstein, and Farid Zakaria, this class will discuss how the idea of popular anti-liberalism is not new. The ideologies of right-wing populism, anti-globalism, neo-nationalism, patrimonialism, and authoritarianism have long been at odds with what was thought to be the nation’s liberal founding. The very idea of freedom for all remains in question.

Instructor Bio

Stephen G. Harding, MPA, is a former policy, financial, and management advisor to local and regional government. He is a retired instructor of global metropolitan policies in the Master of Public Policy and Administration program at Northwestern University.

He serves as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Wolfgang Wolff Foundation, dedicated to preserving the art and life history of Wolfgang Wolff, an exile of Nazi Germany.

(Osher instructor since 2016)