The practice of demagogic leadership; the use of emotional appeals, prejudice, and false claims to gain political power.
From demagogue + -ry (practice or behavior suffix). The -ry ending comes from Old French and creates nouns describing practices (like archery, bravery). Demagoguery is the most common modern English term for describing demagogic behavior and rhetoric.
Demagoguery became a major concern after radio allowed politicians to speak directly to masses—suddenly one voice could reach millions with emotional appeals, bypassing newspapers that fact-checked! This is why media literacy exploded as a field; demagoguery became exponentially more powerful once mass media arrived.
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