Leadership Selection in Six Western Democracies

How aspiring politicians climb the greasy pole, Disraeli's apt nineteenth-century description of the race to the top of national leadership, is the subject of this new text, the first published comparative survey of the leadership nomination process in six Western democracies-Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States.

A comparative survey which discusses how national leaders in six Western democracies, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States, are nominated for the highest office in their country.

A comparative survey which discusses how national leaders in six Western democracies, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States, are nominated for the highest office in their country. The combinations of methods each country utilizes to nominate their leaders are described. The text emphasizes that most national leaders have served a long apprenticeship in various public offices—sometimes having made several attempts—before actually being nominated to the nation's highest public office. Increasingly, the text shows that opinion polls, television, and professional campaign management are playing a greater role in the leadership selection process in all six countries. This book will be of interest to upper-level college and graduate students and faculty in comparative government, political parties, and public affairs and academic as well as public libraries.