Hudson, "The Political Psychology of World Leaders"

Question 1

Give a quick overview of the “Great Man” leadership approach
(4 points)

Answer 1

1. Almost nought but leadership mattered in explanations of foreign policy
2. Feel into disfavour during the Cold War
3. Crises involving Iraq and North Korea reinvigorated this approach
4. “Strategies of deterrence and negotiation depend significantly upon an understanding
   of the other’s worldview. Communication between nations can also be affected in
   important ways by leadership idiosyncrasies”

Question 2

Under what conditions may it be more fruitful to examine a leaders’ characteristics?
(8 points)

Answer 2

1. Regime type
2. Whether a leader is interested in foreign policy
3. Crisis situation
4. Ambiguous or uncertain situations
5. Diplomatic training
6. Patterns of deference
7. Style of leadership
8. Group interactions

Question 3

What is a schema?

Answer 3

The bunching of several items in our long-term memory together

Question 4

What is the fatal flaw of human perception and cognition?

Answer 4

Humans are not very picky about evidence, because our first priority is always to simply ‘get’ the explanation. Often, new evidence and information is manipulated to fit a pre-conceived idea; thus, we perceive what we wish to perceive

Question 5

What mental illnesses are over-represented in political leaders?

Answer 5

Stress induced narcissism and paranoia

Question 6

Which 3 US President’s notoriously relied on licit drugs to function and what were those drugs?
(3 points)

Answer 6

1. Richard M. Nixon; alcohol, self-medicated with Dilantin (for depression/mood swings) with side effects of memory loss, irritability, confusion
2. George H. W. Bush; Haldol (a sleep drug) around the time of Desert Storm
3. John F. Kennedy; steroids and high-doses of pain meds to treat Addison’s disease (which may have affected cognition and clarity)

Question 7

Why did Ronald Reagan keep a jar of jelly beans on his desk?

Answer 7

High levels of chronic pain and fatigue famously cause intense irritability and frequent changes of opinion, complicating decision-making. Sugary foods combat this by flooding the bloodstream with glucose and increasing energy levels