Too much hegemony: A novel theory of the unintended consequences of dominant narratives

This article builds on Gramscian conceptualisations of power by introducing a theory I term ‘hegemonic surfeit’. For Gramsci and his adherents, the political and economic establishment fosters consent and allegiance amongst subordinate classes through the dissemination, inculcation, and appropriation of seductive and pacifying ideologies. In this article, I argue that subordinate groups may adopt such ideals too well and to such an extent that it undermines key objectives of the establishment. As such, hegemonic surfeit encapsulates the idea that the leading class’s very success in imparting certain ideals among the population can magnify, become unwieldly, backfire, and cause crisis for the political elite. I illustrate this through the 2016 Brexit vote, with a particular focus on how xenophobia and anti-migrant narratives and policy, including from the Remain campaign, played a pivotal role in sections of the electorate voting against the interests of the domestic and transnational establishment’s commitment to the neoliberal enterprise of the EU. While not necessarily insurmountable, this has caused a significant crisis for the ruling class. In the conclusion, I contend that the theory of hegemonic surfeit has considerable analytical value in understanding political crises far beyond Brexit.