The Effect of Political Culture on Voter Personality Preferences for Political Leaders: A South Carolina Case Study
Session Title
Explorations in Social Science
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Political Science
Faculty Mentor
Hye-Sung Kim, Ph.D.; Michael Lipscomb, Ph.D.; Jennifer Disney, Ph.D.
Abstract
Is there any personality trait that South Carolina voters expect from their political leaders? In addition, are voters’ preferences for certain personality traits of their political leaders influenced by political cultures voters are exposed to? This paper examines the personality traits that South Carolina voters look for in political candidates using the theoretical framework of the traditionalistic political culture. From this framework, the following hypotheses are developed: voters who are exposed to a traditionalistic political culture are (1) more likely to desire political leaders with high levels of extraversion; (2) more likely to desire political leaders with high levels of agreeableness; (3) more likely to desire political leaders with moderate levels of conscientiousness; (4) more likely to desire political leaders with low levels of neuroticism; and (5) more likely to desire political leaders with low levels of openness to experience relative to the voters who are exposed to a moralistic political culture. To test these hypotheses, I collect original survey data and conduct multiple regression analyses. The findings show that (a) voters with a moralistic political culture tend to show preferences for leaders’ openness to experience and that (b) voters with an individualistic political culture tend to show preferences for candidates’ conscientiousness after controlling for various control variables.
Course Assignment
PLSC 490 - Disney and Lipscomb, PLSC 350 - Kim
Type of Presentation
Oral presentation
The Effect of Political Culture on Voter Personality Preferences for Political Leaders: A South Carolina Case Study
Is there any personality trait that South Carolina voters expect from their political leaders? In addition, are voters’ preferences for certain personality traits of their political leaders influenced by political cultures voters are exposed to? This paper examines the personality traits that South Carolina voters look for in political candidates using the theoretical framework of the traditionalistic political culture. From this framework, the following hypotheses are developed: voters who are exposed to a traditionalistic political culture are (1) more likely to desire political leaders with high levels of extraversion; (2) more likely to desire political leaders with high levels of agreeableness; (3) more likely to desire political leaders with moderate levels of conscientiousness; (4) more likely to desire political leaders with low levels of neuroticism; and (5) more likely to desire political leaders with low levels of openness to experience relative to the voters who are exposed to a moralistic political culture. To test these hypotheses, I collect original survey data and conduct multiple regression analyses. The findings show that (a) voters with a moralistic political culture tend to show preferences for leaders’ openness to experience and that (b) voters with an individualistic political culture tend to show preferences for candidates’ conscientiousness after controlling for various control variables.
