Who wants to be your next political representative? Relating personality constructs to nascent political ambition

Abstract

Although researchers have sought to uncover correlates of features of nascent political ambition (the initial tendency to run for political office), available studies leave gaps concerning the role of personality. We assessed the effects of Five Factor Model personality traits, the “dark triad” (grandiose narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy), and vulnerable narcissism on a quadripartite measure of political ambition. A convenience sample of adults (N = 479) completed personality measures and then indicated (a) how much they thought about running for an office, (b) their rating of some political offices, (c) their qualifications for holding political office, and (d) their likelihood of winning an election. Agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism were associated with diminished ratings on all or most of these political ambition indicators; extraversion, grandiose narcissism, and psychopathy were associated with enhanced ratings on all or some of these political ambition indicators. Our findings advance previous understanding of how personality variables relate to political ambition.