Valence Image and the Standardisation of Democratic Political Leadership

The principles of selection of national candidates and contenders for political leadership are becoming increasingly standardised in Western contemporary democracies, which have been affected by two widespread processes: first, the growth of mass political communication via the electronic media; and second, the increasing deficit of perceived legitimacy of traditional representative institutions. After analysing such processes, this article draws attention to their standardising effects on the images of contemporary leaders. These are analysed in terms of three main elements: image traits, image types, and `vision'. Presenting and developing the notion of `valence image'as the most important dimension of a political leader's image, the article posits that two sets of `valence' image traits (`effectiveness' and `trustworthiness'), four image ideal-types (the `Outsider', the `Strong Leader', the `Everyday Man', the `Post-ideological'), as well as the presence of a consensual `vision' of the country have become the essential and standard prerequisites for access to contemporary political leadership.