The Sovereign Trickster

“In this remarkable book, Vicente L. Rafael, the preeminent scholar of language, nationalism, and colonialism in the Philippines, shows how the global swing to the right crystallizes in a specific national history. Rafael eloquently shows why Rodrigo Duterte must be placed in the long history of the use of antidemocratic means to bolster electoral democracy and how the darkest coercive practices in the Philippine archive are enacted in Duterte's obscene power.” - Arjun Appadurai, Max Weber Global Professor, Bard Graduate Center

“Vicente L. Rafael brings a fierce intelligence and formidable analytical power to explain Duterte’s dark charisma and the violence at the heart of his presidency. In these probing and insightful essays, he accounts for how and why a strongman from the country’s periphery has held a nation in thrall for so long.” - Sheila S. Coronel, Toni Stabile Professor, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

"This fascinating book seeks to explain why Rodrigo Duterte, the outgoing president of the Philippines, has been so popular despite his gruesome human-rights record, authoritarian ruling style and unapologetic vulgarity" - Målfrid Braut-Hegghammer, Survival

"The Sovereign Trickster provides readers with an erudite, in-depth, and historically-contextualized analysis of how Duterte’s persona operates, and why it is so appealing to so many. . . . Anyone with an interest in recent Philippine history should find The Sovereign Trickster incredibly entertaining, accessible – it is a rare writer who can juxtapose Foucault and Mbembe and explain the relevance of their ideas clearly – and analytically illuminating. This is a book that grapples with serious questions of relevance to many societies, but does so with an eloquence that makes it a pleasure to read." - Lin Hongxuan, LSE Review of Books

"If human rights and democracy are good enough for Vicente Rafael, with his informed perspective and critical stance, they’re good enough for me — and they’ll probably satisfy most readers as well. . . . The meaning of these abstract terms will become clear only in context, as they are embodied by intergenerational coalitions of activists who have seen the cost of letting them go." - Rosalie Metro, Los Angeles Review of Books

"The strength of Rafael’s book lies in its intelligent explanation of the establishment and entrenchment of Duterte as a national leader." - Oscar Tantoco Serquiña, Jr, Philippine Political Science Journal

"The Sovereign Trickster is not just another addition to the scholarly pile on the Duterte phenomenon. Vicente Rafael's contribution is timely because it takes stock of the populist leader towards the end of his tenure. Moreover, his book successfully weaves historical analysis with contemporary multidisciplinary theories and the empirical richness derived from existing works about Duterte. The value of this compact but impressive volume is that it adds nuance to our understanding of this political maverick beyond the caricatures on offer."  - Aries A. Arugay, Contemporary Southeast Asia

"For those searching for a carefully contextualized and empirically rich account of the Duterte phenomenon, this book is essential reading. Rafael’s grasp of multidisciplinary theory, his skill in rhetoric, together with his commitment to history, make this a rare, if sometimes graphic interrogation into the charisma of a man much of the world is satisfied to label a vulgar tyrant." - Adele Webb, Southeast Asian Studies

"By helping readers understand Duterte’s broad appeal, Vicente Rafael’s Sovereign Trickster brings to the fore a complex and nuanced account of contemporary authoritarianism in the Global South. . . . The book effectively makes every reader realize the complexities inherent in Duterte, his enablers, and his leadership style. It also helps us explain why the political opposition found it difficult to launch a viable challenge." - Jean Encinas-Franco, Perspectives on Politics

"This brilliant book provides a highly original, illuminating, and insightful theorization, historical contextualization, thick description, and in-depth analysis of the style and substance of Duterte’s presidency, reminding readers that politics in the twenty-first century is too complicated and interesting to leave to political scientists alone. If, out of all the books and articles written about Duterte—or about contemporary Philippine politics—we could pick only one to read, save, and teach, this would be it for sure." - John T. Sidel, Journal of Asian Studies

"The book offers an in-depth, historically contextualized account of Duterte’s personality, which enabled him to enjoy unwavering mass support. Rafael’s analysis presents an incisive explanation of the inception and firm establishment of Duterte as a national leader." - Okori Uneke, Journal of Global South Studies

"Rafael’s work is an important and welcome addition to the body of literature that attempts to reckon with the Duterte presidency specifically and the failings of elite democracy as well as the allure of authoritarianism more broadly. It should be eagerly read by scholars interested in the Philippines, authoritarianism, and biopolitical citizenship." - Mark John Sanchez, Philippine Studies

"The book provides a detailed, intellectual, historically-grounded explanation of the Duterte regime and its war on drugs." - William N. Holden, Advances in Southeast Asian Studies

"Ultimately, The Sovereign Trickster represents a powerful treatise on the necropolitical and biopolitical aesthetics of Duterte's regime that will shape future scholarship in Philippine studies." - Vincent Pacheco, Sojourn