The Psychology of Politicians
The Psychology of Politicians
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The Psychology of Politicians explores a topic which fuels public and media debate yet is under-researched and has potentially far-reaching consequences for the success of our political systems. Focusing on research with democratically elected representatives from the UK, Poland and Italy, and on the political behaviour of a former US President and voters' perceptions in the emerging democracy of Ukraine, this book is packed with psychological insights. Using quantitative and qualitative methodologies, the contributors chart the progress of the individual politician from selection as a candidate to becoming established in Parliament examining their qualities as communicators, thinkers and leaders. The impact of work and non-work pressures on their mental well-being and capacity to handle a crisis are probed and the roles of personality traits in politicians' values and in public perceptions of our elected representatives are highlighted.
- The first book based on findings of empirical psychological studies of national politicians
- Explains a range of psychological factors influencing the performance of our leaders, helping readers gain an understanding of the psychological processes normally hidden from public view
- Features studies by European researchers from both established and newly established democracies in Western and Eastern Europe, providing a largely European focus to complement existing US literature in political psychology
Reviews & endorsements
"This book is an outstanding example of psychology at its best, taking a new and novel topic, ‘the psychology of politicians’, collecting the science and making it readable to all. It explores the nature of their personality, their coping strategies and their cognitive styles. This is a must-read for any politician, political scientist, psychologist or anyone interested in politics."
--Cary L. Cooper, CBE, Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at Lancaster University, and Chair of the Academy of Social Sciences
"This book is a must for those who aspire to a political life. For those already legislating, pour yourself a stiff drink and start reading!"
--Peter Hennessy, Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History, Queen Mary, University of London
Product details
January 2012Hardback
9780521113724
248 pages
235 × 160 × 20 mm
0.51kg
14 b/w illus. 9 tables
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. The psychology of politicians Ashley Weinberg
- Part I. Becoming Politicians:
- 2. Recruiting politicians: designing competency-based selection for UK parliamentary candidates Jo Silvester
- 3. Politicians and power: MPs in the UK parliament Richard Kwiatkowski
- Part II. Being at the Centre of Things: How Politicians Function in their Job:
- 4. What makes a successful politician? The social skills of politics Peter Bull
- 5. Cognitive skills and motivation to adapt to social change among Polish politicians Agnieszka Golec de Zavala
- 6. Political leadership and its development Jean Hartley
- Part III. Coping with Pressure?:
- 7. Should the job of national politician carry a government health warning? The impact of psychological strain on politicians Ashley Weinberg
- 8. When cognitions reach boiling point: the impact of denial and avoidance by policy-makers during a foreign policy crisis Max V. Metselaar
- Part IV. People as Politicians:
- 9. The political side of personality Gianvittorio Caprara, Michele Vecchione and Claudio Barbaranelli
- 10. Where red dictators coexist with promising democrats: the conceptualization of politicians in post-communist Ukraine Pavlo D. Frolov, Olha V. Petrunko and Dmitriy V. Poznyak.
