Studying Political Leadership

Why are some political leaders stronger than others? Why are some presidents and prime ministers able to exercise political leadership more successfully than others? These are questions that have engaged scholars for centuries. There is now agreement that leadership results from the interaction of t [...]
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Why are some political leaders stronger than others? Why are some presidents and prime ministers able to exercise political leadership more successfully than others? These are questions that have engaged scholars for centuries. There is now agreement that leadership results from the interaction of the personality of top-level political leaders and the context they face. Yet students of political leadership seem to make sense of this interaction in very different ways. This book provides new insights by identifying the philosophical foundations on which the study of political leadership is based. Distinguishing between positivist, constructivist, and two scientific realist accounts, this book offers a unique perspective on contemporary scholarship. It shows that there are good philosophical reasons why political leadership is studied in very different ways. In so doing, it provides the opportunity for more informed debate in the future.