Revitalizing political psychology : the legacy of Harold D. Lasswell / William Ascher, Barbara Hirschfelder-Ascher.

"Originally published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates"

Reprinted in 2010 by Psychology Press.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 177-185) and indexes.

The displacement hypothesis -- Symbols, personality, and appeals : Lasswell's contribution to the political psychology of propaganda -- Democratic character -- Political psychology and the risks of leadership -- Political climate, mood, and crisis -- Integrating Lasswell's contributions : brief applications -- The role of the political psychiatrist.

"Revitalizing Political Psychology presents and extends four aspects of Lasswell's contributions to the field: the psychodynamic mechanisms drawn from psychoanalytic theory, the use of symbol associations to understand political propaganda, the analysis of "democratic character" for both the public and the elite, and the structure of belief systems. In so doing, the authors link personality and political communication theory to democratic practice. The authors also critique leadership studies using Lasswell's concerns over the risks to democratic accountability and the current preoccupation with strengthening the roles of charismatic and transformational leaders.".

"Intended for researchers, practitioners, and advanced students in the areas of political and historical psychology, political strategy, and political communication, the book's emphasis on psychodynamics will also appeal to psychoanalysts and the material on leadership will appeal to professionals in management and industrial/organizational psychology."--Cover.