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Professionalizing Political Leaders: Is This the Cure? Lessons from Political Theory

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Professionalizing Leadership

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Abstract

In this chapter, the author is arguing against the professionalization of political leadership through education by analyzing two examples from the past. The first known contribution to this debate is Republic, in which Plato describes his ideal society based on leaders who have passed a long-lasting education before they could take part in the leadership of the regime. The other example is Lenin’s pamphlet What is to be done?, in which he argues in favor of an elite party. Both Plato’ and Lenin’s contributions had negative effects in relation to innovation and democracy.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Social Sciences, Nord University, Bodø, Norway

    Hans Petter Saxi

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  1. Hans Petter Saxi
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nord University, Bodø, Norway

    Anders Örtenblad

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Saxi, H.P. (2018). Professionalizing Political Leaders: Is This the Cure? Lessons from Political Theory. In: Örtenblad, A. (eds) Professionalizing Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71785-2_10

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