E-Book Overview
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.
E-Book Content
The Psychology of Politicians Ashley Weinberg
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. Dr Ashley Weinberg is a Chartered Psychologist and senior lecturer in psychology who conducted the first study of stress in UK Members of Parliament as a postgraduate Masters’ student and has been researching the impact of the job on national politicians for twenty years. Ashley has published books, academic articles and chapters on the importance of psychological health in a range of public-sector occupations – including his Ph.D. on Sources of Stress in the UK National Health Service – as well as politicians, social workers and academics. He is co-author of Organizational Stress Management with Val Sutherland and Cary Cooper (2010) and Surviving the Workplace with Cary Cooper (2007). From 2000 to 2006 Ashley led the establishment of the psychology department at the University of Salford, where he continues to work, also holding an honorary lectureship in psychology at Manchester University.
The Psychology of Politicians Edited by
Ashley Weinberg
cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo, Delhi, Tokyo, Mexico City Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521130660 © Cambridge University Press 2012 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2012 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication data The psychology of politicians / edited by Ashley Weinberg. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-0-5