Contents:
Part I: Historical Introduction. Reading 1. W.J. McGuire, The Poly-psy Relationship: Three Phases of a Long Affair. Part II: Personality and Politics. A. Authoritarianism and Mass Psychology. Reading 2. R. Brown. The Authoritarian Personality and the Organization of Attitudes. Reading 3. R.M. Doty, B.E. Peterson, and D.G. Winter, Threat and Authoritarianism in the United States: 1978-1987. Reading 4. B. Altemeyer. The Other "Authoritarian Personality". B. Political Elites and Leadership. Reading 5:Greenstein, Can Personality and Politics be Studied Systematically? Reading 6: D.G. Winter, Leader Appeal, Leader Performance, and the Motive Profiles of Leaders and Followers: A Study of American Presidents and Elections. Part III: Mass Media and Candidate Perception. Reading 7. S. Iyengar, M.D. Peters, D.R. Kinder. Experimental Demonstrations of the "not-so-minimal" Consequences of Television News Programs. Reading 8. J.A. Krosnick, D.R. Kinder. Altering the Foundations of support for the president through priming. Reading 9. G.E. Marcus and M.B. MacKuen. Anxiety, Enthusiasm, and the Vote: The Emotional Underpinnings of Learning and Involvement During Presidential Campaigns. Part IV: Ideology and Public Opinion. A. Does Ideology Exist? Reading 10. P.E. Converse. The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics. Reading 11. P. Johnston Conover and S. Feldman. The Origins and Meaning of Liberal-Conservative Self-Identification. B. Cognitive Style and Ideological Functioning. Reading 12. R.E. Lane, The Fear of Equality. Reading 13. P.E. Tetlock, Cognitive Style and Political Belief Systems in the British House of Commons. Part V. Challenges of Decision-Making. Reading 14. G.A. Quattrone, A. Tversky. Contrasting Rational and Psychological Analyses of Political Choice. Reading 15. R. Jervis. The Drunkard's Search. Part VI. Prejudice, Diversity, and Social Contact. A. Theories of Intergroup Relations in Society. Reading 16. H. Tajfel, J.C. Turner . The Social Identity Theory of Intergroup Behavior. Reading 17. J.T. Jost, M.R. Banaji. The Role of Stereotyping in System-Justification and the Production of False Consciousness. Reading 18. J. Sidanius and F. Pratto. Social Dominance Theory: A New Synthesis. B. The Enduring Problem of Racism. Reading 19. L. Bobo., Group Conflict, Prejudice and the Paradox of Contemporary Racial Attitudes. Reading 20. D.O. Sears, C. van Laar, M. Carrillo, and R. Kosterman. Is it Really Racism? The Origins of White Americans' Opposition to Race-targeted Policies. Part VII. Conflict, Violence, and Political Transformation. A. The Social Psychology of Wrongdoing and Harm. Reading 21. J. M. Darley, Social Organization for the Production of Evil. Reading 22. M. Crenshaw. The Psychology of Political Terrorism. B. Protest and Revolution. Reading 23. H. Eckstein. Theoretical Approaches to Explaining Collective Political Violence. Reading 24. B. Simon, B. Klandermans. Politicized Collective Identity. Appendix. C.H. Jordan, M.P. Zanna. How to Read a Journal Article in Social Psychology.

Political psychology is a dynamic subfield at the intersection of psychology and political science. The specific relationship between politics and social psychology has been steadily evolving in recent years, making it a compelling and exciting area of study. The chapters in this reader were written by leading scholars in the areas of political science and social psychology. The interdisciplinary fusion reflects the vast range of topics and issues at the forefront of each field. Both contemporary and classic articles are compiled, demonstrating the ever-changing nature of political psychology and offering comprehensive coverage of social psychological research into the processes that have governed local and global affairs in the postmodern world. Topics covered include authoritarianism, political leadership, public opinion, decision-making, prejudice, intergroup relations, terrorism and revolution.

The volume also contains a historical introduction which reviews the symbiotic relationship of political science and psychology. Section introductions, discussion questions, suggestions for further reading and comprehensive indexes make this an ideal, accessible text for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in courses on political science and social psychology.

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This volume focuses on two questions: Why do people from one social group oppress and discriminate against people from other groups? And why is this oppression so difficult to eliminate? The answers to these questions are formed using the conceptual framework of social dominance theory. Social dominance theory argues that the major forms of intergroup conflict, such as racism, classism and patriarchy, are all basically derived from the basic human predisposition to form and maintain hierarchial and group-based systems of social organization. In essence, social dominance theory presumes that, beneath major and sometimes profound differences between different human societies there is also a basic grammar of social power shared by all societies in common.