The terms big man, big man syndrome, and bigmanism, within the context of political science, refer to corrupt, autocratic and often totalitarian rule of countries by a single person.
Generally associated with neopatrimonial states, where there is a framework of formal law and administration but the state is informally captured by patronage networks. The distribution of the spoils of office takes precedence over the formal functions of the state, severely limiting the ability of public officials to make policies in the general interest. While neopatrimonialism may be considered the norm where a modern state is constructed in a preindustrial context, however, the African variants often result in bigmanism in the form of a strongly presidentialist political system. [1]
According to The Economist, "Big men are unequivocally bad for political rights. They harass their opponents, imprison them, drive them into exile or have them killed. Free speech is tightly curtailed. Corruption is rampant... [they] tend to produce poor economic outcomes... [they] suffer from more conflict, less private investment and a worse provision of public goods." [2]
Bigmanism is particularly prevalent in African politics. [2] [3] As of 2025, seven of the ten longest ruling leaders (excluding monarchs) were in Africa. [2]