What are the opportunities and limitations for presidential leadership in the contemporary political system? How have presidents used their position to increase the power of the office? What role has technology played increasing the power and reach of presidents?
Under what conditions will presidents use direct action? When might they prefer passing a formal policy through Congress as a bill?
What do the conditions under which presidents decide to make public pleas suggest about the limits of presidential power?
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Journal Information
Presidential Studies Quarterly (PSQ) is the only scholarly journal that focuses on the most powerful political figure in the world – the president of the United States. An indispensable resource for understanding the U.S. presidency, Presidential Studies Quarterly offers articles, features, review essays, and book reviews covering all aspects of the American presidency. PSQ's distinguished contributors are leading scholars and professionals in political science, history, and communications
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Abstract
A growing body of work seeks to explain the lack of clear evidence for the diversionary use of force by casting doubt on such strategies' attractiveness for policy makers: while domestic political and economic problems may provide incentives for diversion, such strategies involve political and military risks that frequently outweigh these incentives. Such theories correctly identify the objective risks involved in diversion but do not account for variation in leaders' risk-taking propensities. We develop a "first image" theory of diversion that suggests a key psychological variable (locus of control) shapes leaders' willingness to engage in risky diversionary strategies. A statistical analysis of the American use of force, 1953—2000, finds strong support for this model. We conclude that the lack of clear evidence for diversion in general is a reflection of the contingent nature of the phenomenon and call for greater attention to how agents and structures interact to produce policy behavior.
Journal Information
Political Psychology is an interdisciplinary journal dedicated to the analysis of the interrelationships between psychological and political processes. The field draws on diverse disciplinary sources including cultural and psychological anthropology, cognitive psychology, clinical psychology, economics, history, international relations, philosophy, political science, political theory, psychology of personality, social psychology, and sociology.
Publisher Information
International Society of Political Psychology (ISPP) is an interdisciplinary organization representing all fields of inquiry concerned with exploring the relationships between political and psychological processes. Members include psychologists, political scientists, psychiatrists, historians, sociologists, economists, anthropologists, as well as journalists, government officials and others. The Society is also international, with members from all regions of the world: the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.