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Palgrave Macmillan

The Political Leadership of Prime Minister John Major

A Reassessment Using the Greenstein Model

  • Book
  • © 2021

Overview

Authors:
  1. Thomas McMeeking

    1. School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

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  • Focuses on political skill and personality rather than policy and context to assess John Major's leadership
  • Combines the Greenstein approach and elite interviews
  • Contributes to research on prime ministers, the Conservative party and British politics more broadly

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Political Leadership (PSPL)

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
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  2. Introduction

    • Thomas McMeeking
    Pages 1-30

  3. The Greenstein Model in Context

    • Thomas McMeeking
    Pages 31-55

  4. Public Communicator

    • Thomas McMeeking
    Pages 57-89

  5. Organisational Capacity

    • Thomas McMeeking
    Pages 91-129

  6. Political Skill

    • Thomas McMeeking
    Pages 131-171

  7. Vision

    • Thomas McMeeking
    Pages 173-215

  8. Cognitive Style and Emotional Intelligence

    • Thomas McMeeking
    Pages 217-251

  9. Conclusion

    • Thomas McMeeking
    Pages 253-277

  10. Back Matter

    Pages 279-308
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Keywords

About this book

This book seeks to re-examine John Major’s leadership using techniques developed through Presidential Studies: namely using Fred Greenstein’s seminal study of Presidential Leadership, The Presidential Difference, and its six criteria for leadership (public communicator, organisational capacity, political skill, public policy vision, cognitive style, and, finally, emotional intelligence).  It is through Greenstein’s model that a fresh look can be taken at not only Major’s time in office, but equally the man himself, which proves to be just as revealing. Major’s tenure has often been characterised as being weak and incompetent,  as he presided over a sleaze-ridden and divided party on the issue of Europe. With almost a quarter of a century having passed since Major left office, it looks to be an appropriate moment to re-assess his premiership and important role in the recent seismic events surrounding the 2016 Brexit referendum and its outcome.

Authors and Affiliations

  • School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Thomas McMeeking

About the author

Thomas McMeeking is a researcher and teaching assistant at University of Leeds, UK. His interests include: Political Parties, Prime Ministerial and Presidential Leadership studies, and UK and International Politics.
 


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