What is it about?

Elections affect many facets of a society from the economy to foreign policy. In this manuscript we show that they also influence the public’s perception of ideal leadership. In a longitudinal study of 600 participants from across the political spectrum, we found that the leadership shift from Donald Trump to Joe Biden in 2020 led to participants viewing the ideal leader as less tyrannical and less masculine. However, this shift was only among those who accepted the election results as valid, demonstrating the critical role of misinformation. These findings underscore that elected leaders not only mirror public perceptions of ideal leadership but also shape those perceptions themselves.

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Why is it important?

How we view the ideal leader effects a) who emerges as leaders, b) how we view our current leaders, and c) how we act as leaders. Therefore, viewing the ideal leader as less tyrannical and masculine means, for example, that women leaders are more likely to emerge, people view tyrannical leaders less favourably, and existing leaders are less likely to have a tyrannical style. Therefore, this paper shows how a presidential election can alter the foundations of leadership in a society. Given that, in 2024 alone, more than 70 countries will hold elections determining who will be the political leaders of over two billion people, the role of these elections should not be underestimated.

Perspectives

I have often heard people say that the character/attitude of a political candidate doesn't matter, only their policies, and previously I might have agreed. However, this study changed my mind. Using an extremely rigorous design with dozens of robustness checks, this paper underlines that who the president is matters as it shapes who we think a leader should be. This makes me wonder how those faces on Mount Rushmore have shaped leadership in the US, and how a new generation of political leaders - that are not, for example, homogeneously white men - could shape the future leadership.

Dr. Theodore C. Masters-Waage
University of Houston

We show that the people we elect shape who we consider to be ideal leaders in a society. As 2024 is marked by elections in more than half of the world, I am hoping that voters (and non-voters) will realize that who they vote for goes beyond politics as it also have important implications for individuals, groups, and organizations.

Nicolas Bastardoz
Associatie KU Leuven

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This page is a summary of: How elections shape perceptions of ideal leadership., American Psychologist, October 2024, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/amp0001413.
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