Science and Technology

The Psychological Assessment of Political Leaders

Post, Jerrold, ed.

About the Program

Jerrold Post provides a psychological profile of Saddam Hussein, one of the two leaders profiled in his book, "The Psychological Assessment of Political Leaders." Professor Post, who says that Saddam Hussein has the most disturbed background of any political leader he has assessed, talks about Saddam Hussein's upbringing and rise to power. He argues that while the Iraqi leader is not a madman, he does have a malignant, narcissistic personality. Professor Post say that if Saddam Hussein finds himself on the losing end of a war with the U.S., he is likely to order the use of whatever weapons of mass destruction he may possess. A Q&A session follows the talk.

About the Authors

Post, Jerrold, ed.

Jerrold Post is the director of Political Psychology Program at George Washington University. He is the founder of the Center for the Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior, which provides assessments of foreign leaders for top officials in the U.S. government. Professor Post provided profiles of Menchem Begin and Anwar Sadat for President Carter during the 1978 Camp David talks, and of Saddam Hussein for the House Armed Services Committee prior to the 1991 Gulf War. He is the author of "When Illness Strikes the Leader: The Dilemma of the Captive King" and "Political Paranoia: The Psychopolitics of Hatred."
Buy the author's book from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

Program Information

Past Airings

  • Sunday, March 23rd at 7pm (ET)
  • Sunday, March 23rd at 1pm (ET)
  • Saturday, March 22nd at 9:28pm (ET)
  • Saturday, March 22nd at 10am (ET)
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