Personality and the Challenges of Democratic Governance: How Unconscious Thought Influences Political Understanding

· Springer
eBook
203
Pages

About this eBook

This book examines how the five-factor model of personality (also known as the Big Five)—extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability/neuroticism, and openness to experience—influence individuals’ ability to understand and engage in four areas of civic life. First, it documents how personality influences individuals when connecting abstract concepts like liberal or conservative to specific public policy preferences. Second, it demonstrates how understanding basic political facts is often conditional on these traits. Third, it tests the role that personality plays in citizens’ capacity to fulfill the basic demands that democratic governance places on them, such as connecting their own policy preferences to the correct political party. Fourth, it reveals how personality traits can blind people to the role government plays in their lives, while simultaneously causing them to vilify more visible beneficiaries of government programs. Ultimately, this book will engage both scholars and civic-minded individuals interested in understanding the hidden factors driving political behavior.

About the author

Aaron Dusso is Assistant Professor of Political Science, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, USA. Dr. Dusso is also a core faculty member with the Indiana University Center for Civic Literacy. His previous work has been published in the journals Electoral Studies, Political Behavior, Political Research Quarterly, and Social Science Quarterly.

Rate this eBook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Centre instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.