Political leadership

For over four decades the Apartheid system in South Africa deprived many black South Africans their right to democracy. However, Nelson Mandela's leadership strategies would prove effective in helping the Anti-Apartheid movement achieve its common goal of universal suffrage for all South Africans. This thesis explores what made Mandela's rhetoric as a leader so effective during his courtroom testimonies from the Treason Trial in 1956 and the Rivonia Trial in 1964. A new model is developed to analyze leadership characteristics: charisma, prophecy, creativity, pragmatism and prophecy proved to be significant strategies in making his leadership rhetoric so effective. The purpose of the model is to demonstrate how leadership is fulfilled.

The proposed study intended to identify the public education agenda and the success of implementation of this agenda of four Presidents: Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, William Clinton, and George W. Bush. In addition, the study aimed to indentify if any of the above listed Presidents can be categorized as charismatic leaders as defined by Charismatic Leadership Theory and if this categorization can be linked to the determined success or failure of the agenda implementation. This was done using two research methods, document and content analysis, on such documents as presidential speeches and writings, speeches and writings of the Secretary of Education, biographies and autobiographies, editorials from three major newspapers, writings from people working closely with the Presidents, writing of political analysts, and writing of Senate and House majority leadership. The study found the education agendas of the four presidents, and those education items that were passed by Congress. The study also found that Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton were found to be Charismatic Leaders, while George W. Bush was not. A conclusion was made with this data that there were no connection between Charismatic Leadership Theory and the passage of presidential education agendas.

This thesis examines the relationship between the political opposition and populism. The goal is to identify when, how, and under what circumstances an opposition to a populist leader affects change to the political system. A comparative historical analysis is employed as five case studies from South America are examined. The evidence presented in these case studies demonstrates that the political oppositions in each country were unsuccessful in affecting change to their respective political systems. They were unable to demobilize the support base that the populist leaders had created. Change came to the political systems in four out of the five case studies only when the populist leader's actions demobilized his support and not from the actions of the opposition.

My study focuses on oscillating political context to find what factors are conducive to the proposal and ultimate success of executive-generated, liberal health care policy. When it comes to initiating policy change, most of the existing literature concentrates on individuals in Congress or local level politicians. Beginning with the advent of the so-called "Modern Presidency" during the early years of the twentieth century, the President has increasingly played an active role in government, particularly with respect to legislation--he can be considered a "policy entrepreneur." I use data on variables from 1959 to 2004 and employ the Two-Stage Conditional Maximum Likelihood Model. I find that a more liberal President is likely to propose health care legislation that necessitates increased government involvement. I also determine that Congress is more likely to approve a liberal Presidential proposal when the government is unified and public opinion polls indicate people are more receptive to government intervention.