The People's Princes

“In this brilliant work, McCormick compellingly argues that Machiavelli is neither a mere teacher of tyrants nor the simple defender of republican civic virtue. Instead, Machiavelli both advocates the salutary rule of a tyrant to correct the abuses of oligarchy and argues that the goal of any effective ruler is to cede power to the people. McCormick’s dual focus is of the utmost relevance to contemporary democratic politics in the US and elsewhere, threatened as they are by populist demagoguery and authoritarianism.” -- Victoria Kahn | University of California, Berkeley “McCormick is back with another sweeping, timely book, this time focusing on popular leaders and their dangerous counterparts: tyrants-to-be. The poison and the antidote are never as close as when it comes to individuals, but Machiavelli thought that we must take some risks, for—without leadership—the people remain powerless. McCormick ingeniously turns Machiavelli’s reflections into a tool of analysis for today and an instrument for the political battles of tomorrow.” -- Gabriele Pedullà | author of “Machiavelli in Tumult: ‘The Discourses on Livy’ and the Origins of Political Conflictualism” “The People’s Princes is a groundbreaking systematization and analysis of Machiavelli’s theory of virtuous leadership, delivering a clear, rich taxonomy of popular leaders. Through McCormick’s narration of different leaders throughout history—including their victories, conspiracies, and failures—he brings to life the bloody class wars of the ancient and modern worlds.” -- Camila Vergara | author of “Systemic Corruption: Constitutional Ideas for an Anti-Oligarchic Republic”