Ochlocracy (Greek: οχλοκρατία or okhlokratía; Latin: ochlocratia) is government by mob or a mass of people, or the intimidation of constitutional authorities. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity In English, the word mobocracy is sometimes used as a synonym. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States As a pejorative for majoritarianism, it's akin to the Latin phrase mobile vulgus meaning "the easily moveable crowd," from which the term "mob" originally derives. Majoritarianism is a traditional Political philosophy or agenda which asserts that a Majority (sometimes categorized by Religion, Language, or Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome.

As a term in civics it implies that there is no formal authority whatsoever, not even a commonly-accepted view of anarchism, and so disputes are raised, contended and closed by brute force − might makes right, but only in a very local and temporary way, as another mob or another mood might just as easily sway a decision. Civics is the study of citizenship and government with particular attention given to the role of citizens― as opposed to external factors― in the operation and oversight of government In Politics, authority ( Latin Auctoritas, used in Roman law as opposed to Potestas and Imperium Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Might makes right is an Aphorism with several potential meanings (in order of increasing complexity In English, the phrase is most often used It is often associated with demagoguery and the rule of passion over reason. Demagogy (also demagoguery) ( Ancient Greek δημαγωγία from dēmos "people" and agein "to lead" refers to a political

Terminology

The term appears to have been coined by Polybius in his Histories (6. Polybius (ca 203 &ndash 120 BC, Greek) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic Period noted for his book called The Histories Polybius ’ The Histories were originally written in 40 volumes only the first five of which are extant in their entirety 4. 6). ^[1] He uses it to name the 'pathological' version of popular rule in opposition to the 'good' version, which he refers to as democracy. There are numerous mentions of the word "ochlos" in the Talmud (where "ochlos" refers to anything from "mob," "populace" to "armed guard"), as well as in Rashi, a Jewish commentary on the Bible. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history For the astrological concept see Rāshi (Jyotiṣa. Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki, (רבי שלמה יצחקי better known by the acronym Rashi The word is recorded in English since 1584, derived from the French ochlocratie (1568), which stems from the original Greek okhlokratia, from okhlos "mob" and kratos "rule, power, strength"

An ochlocrat is one who is an advocate or partisan of ochlocracy. It can also used as an adjective (ochlocratic or ochlocratical).

Whether or not the decisions enforced by a mob are good or bad is another matter entirely. The threat of mob rule (not unlike the term tyranny of the majority) is often invoked -often rhetorically- against a democracy by those who oppose its majoritary decisions, sometimes fearing oppression of the needs or freedoms of minorities if democratic government is not efficiently restrained by protections given to individuals under the rule of law, sometimes concerned that demagogery may manipulate the mob and force popular currents of thought onto minority groups without respect for their or the individual's rights. The phrase tyranny of the majority, used in discussing systems of Democracy and Majority rule, is a criticism of the Scenario in which decisions made Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society There are also some who wish to see more power assigned to a certain ruling minority. Minoritarianism is a Neologism, closely related to the term minority rule, both of which describe a Political philosophy or agenda which asserts that

A mob, however massive, and regardless of claims to speak for 'the people', may or may not be representative of the (often silent) majority in a large society (which usually practices indirect democracy). Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives It may be composed of a specific segment of the population interested in a specific issue, and drawn from a limited geographical space or it may be a representative popular majority.

Mobs in history

Historians often comment on mob rule as a factor in the rise of Rome and its maintenance, as the city of Rome itself was large − between 100,000 and 250,000 citizens − while the aristocracy and even military was very small by comparison to the citizenry. The rise of Rome to dominate the overt politics of Europe, North Africa and the Near East completely from the 1st century BC to the 4th Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking With weapons also being crude, the military force did not exist that could have dealt with a revolt from the larger populace. There was a constant need to keep people fed, distracted, and in awe of the power of the state. " Bread and circuses " (or Bread and games) (from Latin: panem et circenses) is an ancient Roman Metaphor for people Those who could do this, ruled not only Rome, but the whole of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial

Lapses in this control often led to loss of power, or even the loss of heads, of officials − most notably in the reign of Commodus when Cleander unwisely used the Praetorian Guard against a mob which had come to call for his head. Lucius Aurelius Commodus Antoninus ( August 31, 161 – December 31, 192) was a Roman Emperor who ruled from 180 to 192 (also with Marcus Aurelius Cleander, commonly known as Cleander (?&ndash190 was a Roman Freedman who gained extraordinary power as chamberlain and The Praetorian Guard ( Latin: PRÆTORIANI was a special force of Guards used by Roman Emperors Before being appropriated As Edward Gibbon relates it,

The people. Edward Gibbon ( April 27, 1737 January 16, 1794) was an English historian and Member of Parliament. . . demanded with angry clamors the head of the public enemy. Cleander, who commanded the Praetorian Guards, ordered a body of cavalry to sally forth and disperse the seditious multitude. The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on The multitude fled with precipitation towards the city; several were slain, and many more were trampled to death; but when the cavalry entered the streets their pursuit was checked by a shower of stones and darts from the roofs and windows of the houses. The foot guards, who had long been jealous of the prerogatives and insolence of the Praetorian cavalry, embraced the party of the people. The tumult became a regular engagement and threatened a general massacre. The Praetorians at length gave way, oppressed with numbers; and the tide of popular fury returned with redoubled violence against the gates of the palace, where Commodus lay dissolved in luxury and alone unconscious of the civil war. A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state . . Commodus started from his dream of pleasure and commanded that the head of Cleander should be thrown out to the people. The desired spectacle instantly appeased the tumult. . .

This followed a previous incident in which the legions of Britain had demanded and received the death of Perennis, the prior administrator. This is a list of Roman legions, including key facts about each legion primarily focusing on Principate (early Empire 30BC - 284AD legions for which there exists Sextus Tigidius Perennis (?&ndash185 was a prefect of the Roman imperial Bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, during the reigns of The mob thus realized that it had every chance of success.

Mobs used to affect policy

During the French Revolution, the mobs in Paris played a similar function, but were more carefully manipulated by political leaders who sensed that they had the power to dispose of monarchy entirely, as they did, eventually setting up a representative democracy (which in turn fell to Napoleon's model of semi-constitutional monarchy). The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is

The modern theories of civil disobedience and satyagraha bear some resemblance to mob rule and its mechanics. Civil disobedience is the active refusal to obey certain Laws demands and commands of a Government, or of an occupying power, without resorting to physical Satyagraha ( Sanskrit: सत्याग्रह satyāgraha) is a philosophy and practice of Nonviolent resistance developed by Mohandas Certainly it is quite frightening for large numbers of people, even peaceful ones, to be marching and shouting common demands, if one is charged with the uncomfortable task of refusing them. If Roman guards, facing crucifixion for disobedience, could be swayed by mobs, it is obviously possible also to sway modern police even in a police state. Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force The term police state describes a State in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social economic and political The 1986 EDSA Revolution in the Philippines, the Velvet Revolution in former Czechoslovakia, and the resistance to the attempted military coup in the Soviet Union in 1991 that led to the collapse of that state, are situations where it is possible that it was the "mob" which won the day due to defections by authority. The " Velvet Revolution " (sametová revoluce nežná revolúcia ( November 16 &ndash December 29 1989) refers to a non-violent Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt ( August 19 - August 21, 1991) also known as the August Putsch or August Coup was a three-day The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The Soviet Union 's collapse into independent nations began early in 1985

Whether by intent or by circumstance, non-violent well-organized assemblies often degrade into unruly mobs. Provocation from within (such as an agent provocateur) and from external forces is often a factor, but crowd dynamics often spontaneously emerge to confront the peaceful intentions of those who rallied a crowd. Traditionally an agent provocateur ( Plural: agents provocateurs, French for "inciting agent" is a person employed by the police or Published treatises on civil disobedience theory almost always encourage practitioners to establish order within their ranks, but civil disobedience groups often face difficulty in controlling those they recruit. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a renowned advocate of orderly demonstrations of group power, died after he returned to Memphis to restore order to demonstrations he had inspired but which had turned violent on his previous visit. Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee on April 4, 1968, at the age of 39 Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County.

Other mobs

The term "mob" is also sometimes used to describe organized crime. "Crime syndicate" redirects here For the DC Comics group of villains see Crime Syndicate. Since it is relatively simple for the criminal element to exploit public strife, for example by looting, or grabbing power by means of fraud, there is some resonance in that "mob rule" can be described as having power held by those people who exploit or create mobs by leading them into violence. Looting ( Hindi lūṭ akin to Sanskrit luṭhati steals also Latin latro, latronis In the broadest sense a fraud is a Deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual

In certain places with a dubious record of representative democracy, physical control of polling stations is a form of mob rule that determines who wins: whoever can bring out more supporters to keep the opposing political party out, wins. Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral Political privacy is very often nonexistent in this kind of condition, so retribution against defectors is easy. Political privacy has been a concern since Voting systems emerged in ancient times

See also

• Bandwagon effect
• Collective consciousness
• Collective effervescence
• Collective hysteria
• Collective intelligence
• Crowd
• Crowd psychology
• Flash mob
• Group (sociology)
• Group behaviour
• Herd behaviour
• Keeping up with the Joneses
• Lynching
• Peer pressure
• Reno Gang lynchings
• Sheeple
• Smart mob
• Social comparison theory
• Spiral of silence
• Tribalism

References

• Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn (under pseudonym Francis Stuart Campbell), The Menace of the Herd, The Bruce Publishing Company, Milwaukee, 1943. Erik Maria Ritter Von Kuehnelt-Leddihn ( July 31 1909 &ndash May 26 1999) was an Austrian Catholic A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) (Note where the term "ochlocracy" is used throughout the book. )
• Chana Shaffer, outline of presentation on ochlacracies for political science society in Touro College. Available on the Touro website www. touro. edu. )
• EtymologyOnLine