One part of our project was to identify various types of presidents. Unlike previous approaches, we did not start with a theoretical model or a preconceived number of types. Instead, we examined how similar the personality ratings for each president were to all other presidents. This allowed us to compare each president to every other one on 592 personality, behavior, and ability ratings. We used a statistical procedure called cluster analysis to objectively group presidents that are alike. We view this as a major advance over approaches that rely on a small number of personality dimensions and the judgments of a single author. Based on analyses of the presidents Washington through Clinton, we found eight types of presidents. These are: © Steve Rubenzer, 2004 Dominators The Dominators include LBJ, Nixon, Andrew Johnson, Andrew Jackson, James Polk, Teddy Roosevelt, and Chester Arthur (in order of inclusion). They are prone to bully others and to disregard the feelings and rights of those not on their side. They are bossy, demanding, and domineering; they flatter or manipulate people to get their way. They bend or break rules, and as presidents, stretch the constraints of constitutional government. They are not religious or spiritual, and tend to be prejudiced. Introverts John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Richard Nixon, Herbert Hoover, Calvin Coolidge, James Buchanan, Woodrow Wilson, and Benjamin Harrison. Introverted presidents are psychologically minded, complex, deep men. They are not regarded as warm and friendly, and have difficulty controlling social situations. They prefer to work alone and avoid close relationships. Often jittery or tense, they are not happy and high-spirited; they tend to feel irritable, overwhelmed by stress, and to overreact. © Steve Rubenzer, 2004 © Steve Rubenzer, 2004 Good Guys Hayes, Taylor, Eisenhower, Tyler, Fillmore, Cleveland, Ford, and Washington. Good Guys almost never feel themselves to be worthless, are rarely jittery or tense, and don't feel overwhelmed by stress. They make good decisions even under adversity. They have a hard time lying, aren't crafty or sly, and don't trick, bully or flatter people to get their way. They don't spend much time fantasizing and daydreaming but don't deny problems. Innocents Taft, Harding, and Grant Innocents are submissive and accept domination easily, and are "gullible, naive, suggestible." Not autonomous, independent or individualistic, they sometimes don't assert themselves when they should. Compared to other presidents (who are an industrious lot), they have trouble getting motivated and down to work, and are lethargic, sluggish, lazy, and slothful. © Steve Rubenzer, 2004 © Steve Rubenzer, 2004 The Actors The Actors group includes Ronald Reagan, Warren Harding, William Henry Harrison, Bill Clinton, and Franklin Pierce Compared to other presidents, Actors are gullible, naive, and suggestible, warm and self-disclosing; they allow their feelings to show on their faces and in their posture. They are not meticulous, perfectionistic, or precise; they tend to waste time before getting to work, and tolerate unethical behavior in colleagues. Actors are enthusiastic, spirited, vivacious, zestful, charismatic, and charming. Maintainers This group contains William McKinley, George H. W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and Harry Truman Maintainers stay focused on the job, work slowly but steadily, and are "industrious, persistent, tenacious, thorough." They are "uncreative, unimaginative," and do not indulge in elaborate daydreams and fantasies. They are conforming and conventional, not rebellious. © Steve Rubenzer, 2004 © Steve Rubenzer, 2004 Philosophes James Garfield, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Jimmy Carter, and Rutherford Hayes. Compared to other presidents, Philosophes are curious and inquisitive, interested in science, and fascinated by patterns in nature and art. They are concerned with philosophical issues (e.g., religion, the meaning of life), have many interests, and enjoy solving brain-twister puzzles. They see themselves as broad-minded and believe that students should be exposed to new ideas and controversial speakers. Despite being analytical, logical, and good at math, they value art and beauty and are attentive to the moods of different settings. They are also "nice" people: They believe that everyone is deserving of respect and prefer complimenting others to being praised themselves. Extraverts FDR and Kennedy form the kernel of this cluster, and are followed by Bill Clinton, Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, William Harrison, Warren Harding, Andrew Jackson, and LBJ. Extraverted presidents are enthusiastic, spirited, vivacious, and zestful; they call attention to themselves. They are "impetuous, uninhibited, unrestrained," are not consistent, predictable, or steady. They indulge their impulses and show their feelings through their faces and body language. They have a flair for the dramatic but are not dependable and responsible. They don't take pride in being rational or objective. © Steve Rubenzer, 2004 These types may change as we collect more information on obscure presidents and new presidents are elected. Much more information on the types and how they were derived is presented in Chapter 4 and the appendix of Personality, Character, and Leadership in the White House: Psychologists Assess the Presidents We also offer a high quality, 20 X 14 inch print of the presidential types on this page suitable for framing.