Four Types of Presidential Personalities

James Barber's book, The Presidential Character, addresses the following question-- how does personality affect the presidency? "Barber's objective was grandiose....to create a framework that could be used to categorize a president's psychological tendencies and then use that categorization as an explanatory and predictive tool" (Edwards & Wayne 261). Barber broke down personality into three major components: character, style, and worldview. Of these, he focuses primarily on character.

He calls character the most basic aspect of personality, yet cautions it is the least discernible. Character refers to the way people perceive themselves; thus. the underlying principle is self-esteem. "The better people feel about themselves, the more likely they will be able to accept criticism, think rationally, and learn on the job" (Edwards & Wayne 261). The typology he utilizes for character involves activity-- the level of energy devoted to the job-- and action-- the level of satisfaction derived from the job. Given these types, there are four combinations of personalty: Active-Positive, Passive-Positive, Active-Negative, and Passive-Negative.

Active-Positive refers to a president who is energetic and enjoys his work. He is capable of adjusting to almost any situation and is generally quite productive. Usually he feels quite confident about himself and his abilities (Edwards & Wayne 262). Examples of Active-Positive presidents include Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.

A Passive-Positive president is a "relatively receptive, laid-back individual who wants to gain agreement and mute dissent at all costs" (Edwards & Wayne 262). Most likely he feels unloved and pessimistic on a psychological level. As president, he "attempts to compensate for these feelings by being overly optimistic and continually trying to elicit agreement and support from others" (Edwards & Wayne 262). Bill Clinton is a Passive-Positive president.

Active-Negative describes a president who is working hard but not getting enjoyment out of the job. "He tends to be intense, compulsive, and agressive...may pursue his public actions in a self-interested manner" (Edwards & Wayne 262). Oftentimes he is insecure and uses the position to overcome feelings of inadequacy. Examples of Active-Negative presidents include Abraham Lincoln and Woodrow Wilson.

A Passive-Negative president can be said to "abhor politics and withdraw from interpersonal relationships" (Edwards & Wayne 262). They are not suited for political office and especially not the presidency. Suffering from "low self-esteem, a sense of uselessness, and is apt to take refuge in generalized principles and standard procedures" (Edwards & Wayne 262). Dwight Eisenhower is a Passive-Negative president.

WORKS CITED:

Edwards, George C & Wayne, Stephen J. Presidential Leadership. Thomson Wadsworth: Belmont, CA. 2006.