Introduction

To many analysts of the Third World, leadership is conceived in terms of the consequence of events, rather than their cause. From this perspective, “the possible leadership forms and styles of any given time and place are believed to be dependent on social, economic, and cultural conditions. In “the comparative analysis of political leadership,” Lewis Edinger provides a basic overview of leadership analysis and a strategy for comparative inquiry which focuses on “the acquisition, performance, and consequences of leadership.” Leadership is seen as a nexus point wherein limitations are reflected, ideologies are activated, and public policies are actualized. Under certain circumstances charisma may well be “the one great revolutionary force in epochs bound to tradition,” but primary reliance by leadership on charismatic norms can also produce “expectancy gaps” which can undermine leadership legitimacy and success. The search for verities is continual in the examination of the problems and prospects of the Third World.