Political Leadership

Leadership is one of the principal interests of the social sciences. Drawing on psychology, sociology, anthropology and business studies as well as philosophy and history, this four-volume collection focuses in on democratic leadership in the political sphere. What makes a successful political leader? How much influence can an individual really have? Why are so few top political leaders women? David Bell roots this collection in the classic works of Machiavelli and Weber, before turning to the work of the American political scientists who were the first to study leadership in a systematic way in the 1960s, and coming right up-to-date with the work of Skowronek and others. The selections are arranged in 12 sections including Theories of Leadership, Do Leaders Make a Difference?, Weber's View of Political Leadership, Machiavelli's Analysis of Leadership, Modern Theory, Personality of Political Leaders, Questions of Equality, The Political Morality of Leadership, The Leadership Entourage, Discourse and Symbolism in Leadership, The Cycle of Leadership and Presidentialism, and Contemporary Populism.