USPP
Unit for the Study of Personality in Politics
Syllabus
SAINT JOHNS UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE OF SAINT BENEDICT
Department of Psychology
Fall 1999
Syllabus for HONR 320-01A "Psychological Assessment of Presidential Candidates"
Prerequisites
PSYC 111 or POLS 111 or permission of instructor
Credits
4.0
Core designation
Social sciences upper division (SSU)
Time
11:20-12:30 (days 1-3-5)VenueScience Center 315, SJU
Instructor
Aubrey Immelman, Ph.D.
Office
126 Science Center
Phone
363-3198 (office) or 240-6828 (home)
Internet
aimmelman@csbsju.edu
Consultations
After
class or by appointment
Required texts
The Psychological Assessment of Presidential Candidates by Stanley S. Renshon. Copyright © 1996 by New York University Press (hardcover) or © 1998 by Routledge, New York (paperback).
Presidential Personality and Performance by Alexander L. George and Juliet L. George. Copyright © 1998 by Westview Press, Boulder, CO.
Articles, papers, and research materials as assigned in class.
Recommended texts
Personality and Politics: Problems of Evidence, Inference, and Conceptualization by Fred I. Greenstein. Copyright © 1969 by Markham Publishing Company, Chicago.
Disorders of personality: DSM-IV and beyond (2nd ed) by Theodore Millon. Copyright © 1996 by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York.
Course Description
The course will examine conceptual and methodological perspectives on the psychological assessment of presidential candidates. This will serve as the foundation for a research project designed to assess the personalities of the major candidates in the 2000 presidential election, which in turn will provide a basis for predicting candidates leadership skills and potential performance with reference to the office of the presidency.
Course Content
General orientation to the study of personality in politics, including the need for systematic study of personality in politics, the state of the personality-in-politics literature, and objections to the study of personality in politics; conceptual and methodological issues; alternative approaches to the study of personality in politics; theoretical frameworks for the assessment of presidential character and personality; presidential management styles and models and the assessment of presidential performance; the concept of "psychological suitability"; ethical and professional issues in political personality assessment; the role of the media in presidential campaigns; practical application.
Learning Goals
Upon completion of the course, students will demonstrate:
Factual knowledge and comprehension of major concepts, principles, theories, methodologies, and issues relevant to the study of personality in politics
Applied skills in the assessment of personality in politics
The ability to synthesize biographical information from diverse sources into a coherent model of personality
The ability to evaluate the impact of personality variables on leadership style and role performance in politics
Format of the Course
The class will have a seminar format. A reading schedule is included with this syllabus.
Class Policies and Procedures
Class Attendance Policy
From the 1998-2000 CSB/SJU Academic Catalog:
Students are required to attend all class meetings of courses for which they are registered. It is the students responsibility to contact an instructor preferably in advance [in the event] of a necessary absence. A student absent from class for any reason assumes the responsibility for making up work which has been missed. . . . An instructor may fail a student if the instructor determines that unwarranted absences preclude the students progress in class or indicate a serious lack of commitment" p. 28).
Absenteeism may result in dismissal or grade reduction at the discretion of the instructor.
Academic Honesty Policy
Familiarize yourself with the academic honesty and plagiarism policies of Saint Johns University and the College of Saint Benedict, as explicated in the 1998-2000 Academic Catalog (pp. 34-35). Sanctions for cheating, plagiarism, assisting others in such offenses, and other acts of academic dishonesty include grade reduction, academic failure, and expulsion.
Class Schedule
September 1 General orientation to the course
September 3 Profiling project planning
September 7 Introduction to the study of personality in politics
George & George (1998), Introduction (pp. 1-11).
Renshon (1996), Introduction: Frameworks of analysis (pp. 5-21).
Renshon (1998), Introduction: Does the presidents character still matter? (pp.
1-21).
Immelman (1998), The political personalities of 1996 U.S. presidential candidates Bill
Clinton and Bob Dole (Leadership Quarterly, 9, 335-366).
September 9 The need for systematic study of personality in politics; the state of the personality-in-politics literature; objections to the study of personality in politics
Greenstein (1969), Chapter 1: The study of personality and politics (pp. 1-32).
Greenstein (1969), Chapter 2: Objections to the study of personality and politics (pp.
33-62).
September 13 Conceptual and methodological issues
George & George (1998), Writing psychobiography: Some theoretical and
methodological issues (pp. 55-75).
George & George (1998), Assessing presidential character (pp. 145-197).
Immelman (1993), The assessment of political personality: A psychodiagnostically relevant
conceptualization and methodology (Political Psychology, 14, 725-741).
September 15 Psychoanalytically framed theories of character and personality
George & George (1998), Some uses of dynamic psychology in political biography:
Case materials on Woodrow Wilson (pp. 23-53).
Renshon (1998), Chapter 7: Toward a framework for analyzing presidential performance: Some
observations on a theory of character (pp. 179-204).
Immelman (1997), Review of High Hopes: The Clinton Presidency and the Politics of
Ambition (Political Psychology, 18, 535-539).
September 17 Frameworks for assessing presidential performance
Renshon, 1998, Chapter 8: Toward a theory of character and presidential performance
(pp. 205-230).
George & George (1998), Presidential management styles and models (pp. 199-280).
September 21 The notion of "psychological suitability"
Renshon, 1998, Chapter 1: The psychological suitability of presidents in an era of
doubt (pp. 25-48).
Renshon, 1998, Chapter 2: Assessing the psychological suitability of presidential
candidates: Ethical and theoretical dilemmas (pp. 49-71).
September 23 Ethical and professional issues in political personality assessment
Renshon, 1998, Chapter 5: Assessment at a distance: A cautionary case study of the 1964 presidential campaign [the 1964 FACT fiasco] (pp. 122-145).
September 27 The role of the media in presidential campaigns
Renshon, 1998, Chapter 12: The private lives of public officials: Observations,
dilemmas, and guidelines (pp. 313-333).
Renshon, 1998, Chapter 13: Election campaigns as a tool for assessing the psychological
suitability of presidential candidates (pp. 334-356).
September 29 Practical Applications, Part I
Renshon, 1998, Appendix 2: A model of character, dynamics, development, and
implications for presidential performance (pp. 409-411).
Renshon, 1998, Chapter 14: Asking the right questions of presidential candidates: Some
suggestions and guidelines (pp. 359-379).
Renshon, 1998, Chapter 15: Conclusion: The good enough president (pp. 380-400).
Renshon, 1998, Appendix 1: Some observations on method: Cases, data, and analysis
(pp. 401-408).
October 1 Practical Applications, Part II
Immelman (1999), Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria: Manual (2nd
ed.).
Immelman & Steinberg (1999), Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (2nd
ed.).
October 5 Finalize Project Teams and Subjects
October 7 Writing newspaper opionion columns
Presented by Randy Krebs, editorial page editor, St. Cloud Times
October 12 Launch "Campaign 2000 Presidential Profiling Project" of the Unit for the Study of Personality in Politics (USPP)
October 14 Profiling project continues
October 18 Profiling project continues
October 20 Profiling project continues
October 22 Profiling project continues
October 26 Profiling project continues
October 28 Profiling project continues
November 1 Profiling project continues
November 3 Profiling project continues
November 5 Profiling project continues
November 9 Profiling project continues
November 11 Profiling project continues
November 15 Profiling project continues
November 17 Profiling project continues
November 19 Profiling project continues
November 23 Profiling project continues
November 30 Profiling project continues
December 2 Profiling project continues
December 6 Profiling project continues
December 8 Profiling project continues
December 10 Profiling project continues
December 17 Final exam (Fri. 2:00-4:00 p.m.)
The above schedule and course procedures are subject to change in the event of special or extenuating circumstances
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Last modified: 04/16/2000