Well, who'd have thought it? Last week I was lamenting the lack of leadership options as the UK plummets towards a parliamentary election in on May 6. But last Thursday for the first time in British politics we had a US-style televised debate between the three main party leaders. This changed everything ...
Nick Clegg, leader of the politically central Liberal Democrats, dazzled the public with his common sense, everyman persona. The press loved it and Clegg is now being proclaimed as "the British Obama". The public loved it too, we're talking a 10 point poll hike. That's huge.
Of course, we were all willing something like this to happen (it really had been dull up to now). And of course, we British do love an underdog. But perhaps we could have predicted all this based on some relevant research into the social psychology of leadership.
Michael Hogg and Daan van Knippenberg have a theory arguing that we choose our leaders based on the extent to which they are seen as "prototypical" of the group; that is, the extent to which they are seen to share the characteristics of the majority of group members. Prototypical leaders are appealing because they are perceived to strongly identify with the group and adhere to its attitudes and values. This means they should be a "safe bet" when it comes to acting in our best interests.
Clegg now finds himself in precisely this position. Compared to the Labour or Conservative leaders - who are represented as the "old" parties - Clegg and his Liberal Democrats are the face of change. While the old parties are seen as distanced and disconnected from the electorate, Clegg has found that connection; he's our new prototype. He's succeeded, at least temporarily, in making him one of "us" and the other two parties "them". In short, he's tapped into one of the most powerful mechanisms in intergroup dynamics, and it's working for him like a dream.
It remains to be seen whether Clegg can maintain his new-found appeal. But as an illustration of social identity processes in the political sphere, it's been one fascinating week.
References
Hogg, M.A. & van Knippenberg, D. (2003). Social identity and leadership processes in groups. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 35, 1-52.
