Herrenvolk democracy is a system of government in which only a specific ethnic group participates in government, while other groups are

disenfranchised Disfranchisement, also called disenfranchisement, or voter disqualification is the restriction of suffrage (the right to vote) of a person or group of people, or a practice that has the effect of preventing a person exercising the right to vote. D ...

Ethnocracy An ethnocracy is a type of political structure in which the state apparatus is controlled by a dominant ethnic group (or groups) to further its interests, power and resources. Ethnocratic regimes typically display a 'thin' democratic façade cov ...

, in which one group dominates the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

, is a related concept. The German term ''Herrenvolk'', meaning " master race", was used in 19th century discourse that justified

colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colony, colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose the ...

with the supposed racial superiority of Europeans.

Characteristics

This elitist form of government is typically employed by the majority group as a way to maintain control and power within the system, and typically coincides with the false pretense of

egalitarianism Egalitarianism (), or equalitarianism, is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds from the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all hu ...

. There is a prevailing view that as people of the majority gain freedom and liberty and egalitarian principles are advanced, the minority is repressed and prevented from being involved in the government. This principle can be seen in the development of both the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

—especially the Southern states—and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

in the 19th and 20th centuries. In these historical scenarios, even as legislation moved toward universal male suffrage for white people, it also further entrenched restrictions on political participation by black people and upheld their disenfranchisement. The term was first used in 1967 by Pierre van Den Berghe in his book ''Race and Racism''. In his 1991 book ''The Wages of Whiteness'', historian David R. Roediger reinterprets this form of government in the context of 19th-century United States, arguing that the term "''herrenvolk'' republicanism" more accurately describes racial politics at this time. The basis of herrenvolk republicanism went beyond the

marginalization Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. It is used across discipline ...

of black people in favor of a republican government serving the "master race"; it contended that "blackness" was synonymous with dependency and servility, and was therefore antithetical to republican independence and white freedom. Consequently, the dependent white worker at this time used his whiteness as a way to differentiate himself from and elevate himself over the dependent black worker or slave. According to this ideology, black people were not merely "non-citizens"; they were "anti-citizens" who inherently opposed the ideals of a republican government.

References

{{Racism topics Ethnicity in politics Types of democracy Ethnic supremacy Rule by a subset of population

Characteristics

See also

References