The dominance of cognitive theories applied to political psychology for the past 25 years has diminished the roles of affect, psychological needs, and the psychodynamic mechanisms that are crucial for understanding political behavior. The goal of this new book is to recapture these dimensions by explaining and extending the contributions of Harold D. Lasswell, the dominant figure in developing political psychology in the mid-twentieth-century. Lasswell's work is experiencing a renaissance, as witnessed by the re-publication of 10 of his books since 1990, the posthumous publication of his 1,600 page magnum opus, Jurisprudence for a Free Society, and the establishment of the Society for the Policy Sciences to further the applications of the Lasswellian framework. Until now, there has not been a book dedicated to his contributions to political psychology. Although Lasswell was best known for applying psychodynamic theories to politics, this book also demonstrates how his framework accommodated for cognitive processes and social interactions ranging from communications to the policy-making process.
The authors use Laswell's contributions and the debates over his ideas as a springboard for examining broader issues in the behavioral sciences, such as the tensions between psychoanalytic approaches and contemporary academic psychology as well as an extended critique of the field of leadership studies. Revitalizing Political Psychology: The Legacy of Harold D. Lasswell focuses on four aspects of Lasswell's contributions to political psychology: the psychodynamic mechanisms drawn from psychoanalytic theory (Chs. 2, 3, & 6), the analysis of "democratic character" for both the public and the elites (Chs. 4, 5, & 6), the analysis of the role of symbols in political communication and the classification of belief systems (Ch 3). Intended for researchers, practitioners, and advanced students in the areas of political and historical psychology, political and policy strategists, and those in political communication, the book's emphasis on psychodynamics and the concluding chapter on the role of the political psychiatrist should appeal to psychoanalysts and the material on leadership will appeal to professionals in management and 10 psychology.