horizontalism means A political or social theory or system that advocates the equitable distribution of power in a society. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.
Why “horizontalism” is a great word
HORIZONTALISM — [Noun] A political theory or practice advocating the equitable, non-hierarchical distribution of power within a society. From English horizontal (meaning "level, flat") + -ism (denoting a system or theory). The specific political sense is a calque of Spanish horizontalidad, originating from the 2001 protests in Argentina. Unlike "hierarchism," which structures authority in ranked tiers, or "verticalism," which implies a top-down, centralized command, horizontalism is the deliberate dismantling of the pyramid in favor of the circle. It is the consensus-based murmur of a neighborhood assembly, the leaderless network in a sun-baked plaza, and the shared spreadsheet governing a cooperative—a fragile, human argument against the gravity of power.
Etymology
From horizontal + -ism. The sense “equitable distribution of power” is a calque of Spanish horizontalidad, originating from the 2001 protests in Argentina.
noun
- A political or social theory or system that advocates the equitable distribution of power in a society.“Horizontalism is not described as an ideology but as a relationship—a way of relating to one another in a directly democratic way while at the same time continually creating through the process of discovery.”
- An approach to money creation theory pioneered by Basil Moore which states that private bank reserves are not managed by central banks.“Indeed, it has been said that in horizontalism, commercial banks lend to all who demand credit.”