Is there a prototype leader look? Evidence from the photos of Chinese local leaders

Abstract

Is the tendency to associate leadership effectiveness with a certain physical appearance universal, or is it a byproduct of electoral democracy? This paper reports the first paired-photo study of leaders in a nondemocracy. We first demonstrate that some basic findings of appearance-based leadership scholarship can be generalized to China. Chinese subjects can identify local politicians from their faces with above-chance accuracy. The faces of local political leaders are considered to be more competent, more trustworthy, and more electable than local nonpolitical leaders. We also push further our understanding of the political effects of the physical appearance of public officials by showing that Chinese politicians seem to be able to command obedience when subjects have the option to individually or collectively oppose an unfavorable arrangement. Overall, our evidence seems to suggest that there is a “prototype leader look” that potentially affects authoritarian politics.