ABSTRACT
As mentioned in chapter 1, personality is a central concept in psychology. For this reason, personality is placed at the base of the Political Being’s brain, representing its roots and, therefore, the most fundamental element. Personality not only affects how people think and behave in the political arena, but it is also affected by the life experiences of individuals. This chapter considers some central questions about personality addressed in political psychology, including such questions as: How does personality affect political behavior? How deep must we go in understanding the development of a person’s personality in order to understand their political inclinations (to the unconscious or to more surface, conscious traits and motivations)? What personality characteristics are most politically relevant? Are people completely unique, or do they share personality traits in various combinations, making individuals more or less similar in their political behavior? How should we study personality, because we cannot very well put a political figure on the couch and ask them questions?
