The psychological assessment of presidential candidates
Title:
The psychological assessment of presidential candidates
JLCTITLE245:
Stanley A. Renshon.
Personal Author:
Publication Information:
New York : New York University Press, c1996.
Physical Description:
xiv, 515 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.
ISBN:
9780814774694
Abstract:
While there is increasing public awareness that the psychology, judgment, and leadership qualities of presidential candidates count, the basis on which these judgments should be made remains unclear. Does it matter that Gary Hart changed his name or had an affair? Should Ed Muskie's loss of composure while defending his wife during a campaign speech, or Thomas Eagleton's hospitalization for depression, have counted against them? Looking back over the past twenty-five years, Stanley A. Renshon, a political scientist and psychoanalyst, provides the first comprehensive accounting of how character has become an increasingly important issue in a presidential campaign. He traces two related but distinctive approaches to the issue of presidential character and psychology. The first concerns the "mental health" of our candidates and presidents. Are they emotionally and personally stable? Is their temperament suitable for the presidency? The second concerns character. Is the candidate honest? Does he possess the necessary judgment and motivation to deal with tremendous responsibilities and pressures of the office? Drawing on his clinical and political science training, Renshon has devised a theory which will allow the public to better evaluate presidential candidates. Why are honesty, integrity, and personal ideals so important in judging candidates? Is personal and political ambition necessarily a bad trait? Do extramarital affairs really matter? Finally, and most importantly, how can the public tell whether a candidate's leadership will be enhanced or impeded by aspects of his personality?
Bibliography Note:
Includes bibliographical references (p. 479-496) and indexes.
Subject Term:
Contents:
Foreword / Alexander L. George -- Introduction: Frameworks of Analysis -- 1. The Psychological Suitability of Presidents in an Era of Doubt -- 2. Assessing the Psychological Suitability of Presidential Candidates: Ethical and Theoretical Dilemmas -- 3. Psychological Health and Presidential Performance: A Foundation for the Assessment of Psychological Suitability? -- 4. Is the Psychological Impairment of Presidents Still A Relevant Concern? -- 5. Assessment at a Distance: A Cautionary Case Study of the 1964 Presidential Campaign -- 6. Psychological Health in the 1972 Presidential Election: The Case of Thomas F. Eagleton -- 7. Toward a Framework for Analyzing Presidential Performance: Some Observations on a Theory of Character -- 8. Toward a Theory of Character and Presidential Performance -- 9. Character and Judgment in the 1988 Presidential Campaign: A Case Study of Gary Hart -- 10. Bill Clinton as a Presidential Candidate: What Did the Public Learn? -- 11. William J. Clinton as President: Some Implications of Character for Presidential Performance -- 12. The Private Lives of Public Officials: Observations, Dilemmas, and Guidelines -- 13. Election Campaigns as a Tool for Assessing the Psychological Suitability of Presidential Candidates -- 14. Asking the Right Questions of Presidential Candidates: Some Suggestions and Guidelines -- 15. Conclusion: The Good Enough President -- Appendix 1: Some Observations on Method: Cases, Data, and Analysis -- Appendix 2: A Model of Character: Dynamics, Development, and Implications for Presidential Performance -- Appendix 3: Preparing Political Leaders for Power: A Supplement to Assessing Psychological Suitability.