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The Quality of Political Leadership: A Case Study of John Major
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 January 2009
Abstract
Perceptions of leadership quality depend upon personality traits. With John Major as a case study, we demonstrate that the most important personality attributes are those which contribute to the belief that a leader can govern in a business-like fashion. Changes in personality traits affect the rating of a leader and ratings affect a party's electoral support. Using this approach, perceptions of John Major's personality are changed continuously to illustrate the impact on voters. A Monte Carlo simulation is introduced to allow for the likelihood that not everyone would perceive a personality change. This approach is preferable to alternatives and can explain why, on occasion, there has been dispute over the importance of party leadership in British general elections.
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References
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26 The Monte Carlo algorithm was originally written in LIMDEP but for reasons of expediency was subsequently transferred to RATS. A copy of either program is available from the authors on request.
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28 This was used as a proxy for income.
29 Crewe, and King, , ‘Did Major Win? Did Kinnock Lose?’Google Scholar
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