In the USA, where the presidential system intensifies the focus on the personal qualities of contenders for office, the study of leadership is well established. Less attention has been paid to individual leaders in Britain, given the parliamentary system and tradition of collective government. This is now changing. The presidentialisation thesis notes the personalisation of the office of prime minister, while studies of voting behaviour stress the importance of voter perceptions of party leaders. This piece summarises three recent contributions to the study of leadership in the UK.
Kevin Theakston adapts Fred Greenstein’s analysis of US presidential leadership to study recent British prime ministers. It identifies six qualities of leadership:
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