This book explores unique survey and interview data on the personality characteristics of British politicians, specifically the Basic Human Values of Members of Parliament (MPs). In doing so, it offers original insights into three compelling questions: Who enters politics and how are they different to the general public? Do politicians’ personality characteristics matter for their behaviour once they are elected to parliament? Do voters really get the ‘wrong’ politicians? Data collected from MPs are evaluated alongside comparable surveys and experiments conducted with over 400 elected councill ... More

This book explores unique survey and interview data on the personality characteristics of British politicians, specifically the Basic Human Values of Members of Parliament (MPs). In doing so, it offers original insights into three compelling questions: Who enters politics and how are they different to the general public? Do politicians’ personality characteristics matter for their behaviour once they are elected to parliament? Do voters really get the ‘wrong’ politicians? Data collected from MPs are evaluated alongside comparable surveys and experiments conducted with over 400 elected councillors, over 500 unsuccessful candidates, and thousands of UK citizens. Synthesising the conceptual and empirical wisdom of political science and psychology, Weinberg uses these data and the governing questions above as a springboard from which to take an innovative and analytical dive into related areas of academic research and public interest. These include, for example, the role of basic values vis-à-vis candidate emergence and political ambition, parliamentary representation and legislative behaviour, and public voting habits. Through careful empirical analysis and theoretical dissection, this book shows that (a) politics is a profession few 'ordinary' people care to enter, (b) politicians’ basic values impact a range of actual legislative behaviours, and (c) voters have clear psychological preferences when it comes to choosing their representatives. Readers will find this book to be distinctive in its approach to familiar issues predominant in academic, popular and journalistic press. The substantive findings presented in this book do, therefore, tell a human story that has appeal beyond the ivory towers of academia.