The Psychological Assessment of Political Leaders

In an age when world affairs are powerfully driven by personality, politics require an understanding of what motivates political leaders such as Hussein, Bush, Blair, and bin Laden. Through exacting case studies and the careful sifting of evidence, Jerrold Post and his team of contributors lay out an effective system of at-a-distance evaluation. Observations from political psychology, psycholinguistics and a range of other disciplines join forces to produce comprehensive political and psychological profiles, and a deeper understanding of the volatile influences of personality on global affairs.

Even in this age of free-flowing global information, capital, and people, sovereign states and boundaries remain the hallmark of the international order—a fact which is especially clear from the events of September 11th and the War on Terrorism.

Jerrold M. Post, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry, Political Psychology, and International Affairs, and Director of the Political Psychology Program at George Washington University. He is the founder of the CIA's Center for the Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior.

Praise / Awards

• "This work on Hussein and Clinton reveals not only critical psychological variables in the personalities of these leaders, but demonstrates the excellence of personality assessment in modern political psychology."
  —James Glass, University of Maryland

• "Both in theoretical content and in the profiles of Saddam and Clinton, this is a most insightful compilation of collective wisdom. . . . [E]ssential reading for government practitioners and academic specialists teaching courses on leadership, political psychology, and foreign policy."
  —Choice

• "Post is a pioneer in the field of political-personality profiling."
  —Jane Mayer, New Yorker