Does the Perception of Ideology Depend on Subjective Assessment of Politician: How People in Russia Evaluate the Leadership Potential of Different Political Actors?

• In Event: 4-7: Personality of leaders

Abstract

Nowadays, the achievement of political objectives is concerned with the support and encouragement of people, with their good will to recognize a politician as a leader who is able to realize the main directions of the proposed programme. The changes happened in the world make the significantly different demands to the politicians. In a chaotic world people appeal to leaders with a clear and integrated ideology that could make a sense for their professional and private life.
Our latest researches show that Russians have more clear representation of ideological aspects performed in political speeches of the President and Prime Minister than of any other Russian politicians. Does it mean that an attention to the content of political speeches depends on the perception of the politician as a leader? Does the President or the Prime Minister, a priori, are endowed with more leadership qualities than politicians who have less political power? Does the perception of political ideology is closely correlated with the perception of leadership?
The report discusses the results of empirical research in Russia (2012-2014) about the representations of such abstract concepts as «Political Leader», «President» (of a country), «Prime Minister», «Governor», «Leader of a Political Party», «Deputy» (Member of Parliament). Data about the objectives, the specificity of leadership process and it’s results were gathered by the using methods of semantic differential, unfinished sentences and the test of sense-life orientations. So, the results indicate how respondents can evaluate the leadership potential of different politicians.

Author

• Irina Samuylova, Saint Petersburg State University