A leader who appeals to people's emotions and prejudices rather than using facts or logic to persuade them, often for personal power.
From Greek 'demagogos' (dēmos 'people' + agogos 'leading'). Originally referred to Athenian orators who influenced the assembly. The term shifted to a negative meaning during the late 1600s when it began describing manipulative leaders who exploited popular sentiment.
Ancient Athens actually invented the term demagog—they were worried about leaders like Cleon who got crowds excited with emotional speeches rather than wise policies! Remarkably, Aristotle warned about demagogs 2,400 years ago, and politicians still use the same emotional manipulation tactics today because human psychology barely changes.
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