Perceived control of important life outcomes has been shown to be a fundamental prerequisite of psychological well-being and social adjustment. Literally thousands of studies attest to the notion that a person with a sense of perceived control, efficacy, and optimism inhabits a different psychological world from a person who espouses a fatalistic, pessimistic, or powerless worldview. The person's control orientation also influences how he or she responds to information and persuasion. This article reviews the psychological evidence for a connection between perceived control and political behavior. From this review, implications for political discourse are drawn to the 1992 campaign, to the political behavior of Governor Clinton and President Bush in their effort to garner votes and to the early Clinton administration.
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