Narratives of Cult-Like Political Allegiance and Engagement: A Qualitative Exploration of High-Control Political Identity

Abstract

This qualitative biographical study examines why political followers in Pakistan develop intense, unquestioning, and emotionally driven loyalty to their political leaders, similar to cult-like allegiance. Using semi-structured narrative interviews and Umberto Eco’s (1995) concept of Ur-Fascism as a guiding framework, the study proposes four main themes: leader-centered devotion, ideological group identity and moral superiority, rejection of opposing views, and the idealization of the leader as the last hope. It also highlights how sacrifice, loyalty, suffering, and perceived persecution may be interpreted as signs of commitment to the political cause. The proposed coding framework, developed from 70 possible categories into 12 subthemes and four major themes, requires verification against the actual interview data. If confirmed, the findings would suggest that political loyalty is sustained not only by ideology but also by group identity and restricted information environments. The study further suggests that Eco’s characteristics of Ur-Fascism apply only partially to the Pakistani context. It identifies civic education and political depolarization as potential policy approaches to addressing extreme political loyalty.