Star power can sometimes disrupt traditional democratic leadership by prioritizing fame and dramaturgy over election and accountability. Nevertheless, when electoral and star power align, they can synergistically bolster each other, granting significant political leverage to celebrity aspirants, often surpassing the achievements of conventional politicians. However, it remains uncertain whether celebrity or political experience better predicts national leadership potential. To address this question, 251 UK undergraduate students participated in an online study, rating the leadership potential and personality traits of 40 images of UK/European politicians, US politicians, and celebrities that were shown in rapid presentation or a ‘thin slice’ paradigm. Of the faces shown only six were recognised, including experienced politicians like Barack Obama, Boris Johnson, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and one celebrity, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, whose perceived leadership potential equalled that of Biden and Obama. Hierarchical regression analysis identified certain personality traits as common predictors of leadership potential across all six individuals. Notably, Dwayne Johnson exhibited greater positive traits and leadership potential than seasoned politicians, highlighting the study's significance in understanding the interplay between celebrity and effective leadership perception among potential voters.
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Senior et al. (2024) studied this question.
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