ochlocracy

From Middle French ochlocratie, from Ancient Greek ὀχλοκρατία (okhlokratía), from ὄχλος (ókhlos, “multitude, crowd”) + κράτος (krátos, “power”).[1][2]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɒkˈlɒkɹəsi/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɑkˈlɑkɹəsi/

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• Hyphenation: och‧lo‧cra‧cy

ochlocracy (plural ochlocracies)

1. Mob rule; government by the masses; mobocracy. [from 1475–1485.]
   • 2016 July 1, A[nthony] C[lifford] Grayling, “Professor A C Grayling’s letter to all 650 MPs urging Parliament not to support a motion to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty”, in New College of the Humanities‎, archived from the original on 2 July 2016:

     Referendums are snapshots of sentiment at a given point in time. Government by referendum is government by crowd acclamation: not democracy, but ochlocracy. That is exactly why we have representative democracy. If referendums would be a poor way to decide on health and safety, air traffic control, or education, they are an exceedingly poor way to decide a matter as momentous as membership of the EU. This is and should be a matter for Parliament, taking all factors into account.