ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the impact of the Clinton presidency in helping to set the frame within which character issues are being considered. It suggests some reasons why character attacks and the responses to them help the public make important judgments about the psychology and leadership of those who would govern ones. The chapter turns to the question of the broader cultural and political contexts in which the search for leadership takes place. It explains that the public's experiences and leadership preferences have an important effect on the kinds of leadership that develop and are supported in a society. The chapter distinguishes between two models of leadership in contemporary American society. One, the heroic, has become traditional; the other, reflective leadership, is emerging in response to structure and psychological changes in the American public. The chapter concludes by suggesting how each of the two models of leadership affected the 2000 presidential campaign.
