Political Socialization and Leadership Selection

Abstract

Hypotheses attempting to explain what types of persons are recruited into political leadership roles in the United States have stressed three factors—(1) the relation ship between the stratification system and leadership selection, (2) the tendency for persons with skills appropriate to the functional needs of society to be recruited into positions of political responsibility, and (3) the proclivity for political self- selection among particular personality types. Though status, appropriate skills, and personality traits may affect the prob ability that a person will select himself or be selected for po litical leadership, none of these factors are necessary or suffi cient conditions for political recruitment. A fourth proposi tion stresses that a small portion of the total population are frequently and intimately in contact with political matters; they are either of a politically active family, involved in school politics or reform movements, or engaged in occupational and civic roles tangential to the political world. The small portion of the population made politically sensitive by their political socialization experiences tend to select themselves for public leadership posts or to be favorably located for recruitment. Though not a large segment of the population, they contribute a sizable share of the political leadership class.