Jerrold M Post
Biographic Data
| ID | 1052200 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jerrold M Post |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jerrold M |
| FAMILY NAME | Post |
| SIGNATURE | POST J M |
| AFFILIATIONS | George Washington University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8258-5724 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 54 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 217 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 53 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1965 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2022 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
Unnatural Nature: Anglers Reimaginings of the Los Angeles River as Parkland
The Los Angeles River provides residents with much-needed access to nature and recreation opportunities in a city plagued by a lack of parks. Park access and use in Los Angeles varies greatly along racial and class lines, artifacts of the city’s history. Inequalities exist in how and where people can access urban nature and parks. Fishing on the L.A. River is a response to these inequities. Anglers create their own park spaces and nature experien…
How dictators retain control: A review of The psychology of dictatorship
Executive dysfunction, brain aging, and political leadership
Decision-making is an essential component of executive function, and a critical skill of political leadership. Neuroanatomic localization studies have established the prefrontal cortex as the critical brain site for executive function. In addition to the prefrontal cortex, white matter tracts as well as subcortical brain structures are crucial for optimal executive function. Executive function shows a significant decline beginning at age 60, and …
Building Community Resilience to Counter Violent Extremism
The Obama administration's new approach to countering violent extremism through engaging community partners challenges us to make a paradigm shift in how we understand the causes of terrorism. This approach is supported by theory, research findings, practice knowledge, and policy successes. However, for the US government to deliver on its promise of building community resilience, it is necessary to better understand the meanings of resilience as …
Transformative Political Leadership: Making a Difference in the Developing World
The Modeler Meets the SME: The Challenge of Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Models of Terrorist Decision Making
Terrorism risk assessment and management involves a unique set of modeling challenges. A special problem is that the expertise required to address those challenges lies divided between two communities: risk assessment modelers working in the probabilistic risk assessment paradigm, and subject matter experts (“SMEs”) working in terrorist psychology. SMEs don't fully understand what Modelers bring to the table, and Modelers don't fully understand w…
Hamas: The Islamic Resistance Movement
Established during the First intifada—the Palestinian civil revolt against Israeli occupation, which began in December 1987—Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, tr aces its or igins to the Muslim Br other hood, founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna. The Brotherhood sought to revitalize Islam and to establish an Islamic state, with no distinction between religion and the state. Its members considered Palestine, permanently and exclusively…
The World’s Most Threatening Terrorist Networks and Criminal Gangs
Terrorist organizations and international criminal networks pose an increasing danger to the world. This book looks at diverse groups from Al Qaeda to Mexican drug cartels and includes a chapter on te
Talking with Terrorists
This brief paper addresses the common sense proposition that policies designed to counterterrorism must necessarily rest on a sophisticated understanding of the psychology of terrorists, and that the optimal path to understanding “what makes terrorists tick” is to ask them. But this in turn means talking with them, not interrogating them. The authors, both of whom have had extensive experience in talking with terrorists, present a number of guide…
Reframing of Martyrdom and Jihad and the Socialization of Suicide Terrorists
The History and Evolution of Martyrdom in the Service of Defensive Jihad: An Analysis of Suicide Bombers in Current Conflicts
Farhana AN and Jerrold Post The History and Evolution of Martyrdom in the Service of Defensive Jihad An Analysis of Suicide Bombers in Current Conflicts MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THE IRAQ. WAR, EM PHASIZING NOT only the failure of US policies but also the internecine fighting among the varied groups, including Al Qaeda and Shia and Sunni militias, all of which have contributed to the carnage in a country with deep histori cal Islamic roots. Ir…
The Mind of the Terrorist: The Psychology of Terrorism from the IRA to al-Qaeda
In contrast to the widely held assumption that terrorists are crazed fanatics, political psychologist Post demonstrates that they are psychologically "normal" and that "hatred has been bred in the bone." He reveals the powerful motivations that drive these ordinary people to such extraordinary evil by exploring the different types of terrorists, from national-separatists like the Irish Republican Army to social revolutionary terrorists like Shini…
Crimes of Obedience
To say the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal damaged the US image in the Middle East is to underestimate its impact. While the commissions and trials thus far have not found fault with senior officials, and the Secretary of Defense identified the fault as lying with “a few bad apple MPs,” this paper suggests that the three conditions identified by Kelman and Hamilton in their study of the My Lai massacre as being requisite for sanctioned massacres—…
The Psychology of WMD Terrorism
The concern for superterrorism using CBRN weapons has generally focused on what terrorists can do and what our societal vulnerabilities are, with scant attention to terrorist motivations, their incentives, and constraints. In considering which in the spectrum of terrorist groups might be inclined to carry out acts of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) terrorism, it is important to differentiate the spectrum of such acts as well…
When Hatred is Bred in the Bone: Psycho-cultural Foundations of Contemporary Terrorism
The terrorists in their own words: Interviews with 35 incarcerated Middle Eastern terrorists∗∗This research was conducted with the support of the Smith Richardson Foundation
Using semi-structured interviews, 35 incarcerated Middle Eastern terrorists have been interviewed – 21 Islamic terrorists representing Hamas (and its armed wing Izz a-Din al Qassan), Islamic Jihad, and Hizballah, and 14 secular terrorists from Fatah and its military wing, PFLP and DFLP. The purpose of the research was to understand their psychology and decision-making in general, and with special reference to their propensity towards weapons of m…
Differentiating the threat of chemical and biological terrorism: Motivations and constraints
There is a heightened concern in the United States over the specter of a catastrophic domestic chemical or biological terrorist attack. Billions are being invested in training first responders for what is acknowledged to be a high consequence-low probability event. However, although substantial investment is being devoted to protecting our vulnerable society from such a devastating act, there is very little attention being devoted to who might do…
The Radical Group in Context: 2. Identification of Critical Elements in the Analysis of Risk for Terrorism by Radical Group Type
In this second of two linked articles describing an integrated framework for the analysis of risk for terrorism of a radical group, a subset of observable indicators for each of the 32 variables within the integrated framework is presented. On the basis of an expert knowledge acquisition process, five types of terrorist groups-- nationalist-separatist, religious fundamentalist, new religions (other religious extremists, including millenarian cult…
The Radical Group in Context: 1. An Integrated Framework for the Analysis of Group Risk for Terrorism
On the basis of a systematic expert knowledge acquisition process, a framework has been developed that takes into account critical variables--internal and external, as well as interactions between them and the group under examination--that are understood to increase risk for escalation toward political violence. The indicators identified are grouped within four conceptual categories: (1) External factors, including historical, cultural, and conte…
From car bombs to logic bombs: The growing threat from information terrorism
The vulnerability of the critical infrastructure has led to increasing concern that it will be the target of terrorist attacks. This article explores definitional aspects of information terrorism and identifies two groups likely to find information terrorism attractive: conventional terrorist groups and information culture groups. As computer sophisticated youth move into the ranks of conventional terrorist groups, the groups will increase their …
The psychopolitics of hatred: Commentary on Ervin Staub's article
To understand the psychological basis for ethnic cleansing and man's inhumanity to man, it is critical to understand the powerful relationship of malignant leaders and vulnerable followers. At times of political and economic transition, hate-mongering demagogues, serving as malignant group therapists to their wounded nations, can pro- vide sense-making explanations for their beleaguered followers, exporting the source of their difficulties to an …
Boris Yeltsin: Against the Grain
Boris Yeltsin’s political and medical health is fragile. Confrontational by nature, Yeltsin lacks the requisite skills to provide healing leadership in Russia’s continuing economic and political crisis. The stress caused by his leadership incapacity and the loss of popular support further degrades his health
Cuba’s Maximal Leader under Maximal Stress
Isolated at home and abroad, Fidel Castro is facing the gravest crisis of his political career. How is this aging revolutionary reacting to the failure of his revolutionary dreams
The Presidency and the Persian Gulf War
Introduction by James P. Pfiffner The Presidency and War-Making Presidential Policy-Making and the Gulf War by James P. Pfiffner The Conflict Between Congress and the President Over War by Robert J. Spitzer The Power of Commander in Chief by Louis Fisher George Bush Goes to War Figuring Out Saddam Hussein by Betty Glad The Case FOR the War by Raymond A. Moore The Case AGAINST the War by Marcia Lynn Whicker The Home Front Vietnam and the Gulf War:…
Choosing a Healthy President
This article considers the requirement for-but dilemmas in-health screening of presidential candidates. It surveys the experience the United States has had since 1931 with the health of candidates for the presidency, especially those who have been elected. The tripartite role of the president-as chief executive, as party leader, and as national symbol/model-is stressed. Several instances of deception, or at least lack of candor, are described. Th…
Current Concepts of the Narcissistic Personality: Implications for Political Psychology
In the past two decades, increasing attention has focused on the etiology and clinical manifestations of the narcissistic personality. This article reviews current concepts of the narcissistic personality, drawing special attention to the implications for political psychology. The decision-making of the narcissistic leader, especially crisis decision-making, is often impaired. The narcissistic leader has difficulty accepting criticism or new info…
When Hatred is Bred in the Bone: Psycho-cultural Foundations of Contemporary Terrorism
The terrorists in their own words: Interviews with 35 incarcerated Middle Eastern terrorists∗∗This research was conducted with the support of the Smith Richardson Foundation
Using semi-structured interviews, 35 incarcerated Middle Eastern terrorists have been interviewed – 21 Islamic terrorists representing Hamas (and its armed wing Izz a-Din al Qassan), Islamic Jihad, and Hizballah, and 14 secular terrorists from Fatah and its military wing, PFLP and DFLP. The purpose of the research was to understand their psychology and decision-making in general, and with special reference to their propensity towards weapons of m…
Narcissism and the Charismatic Leader-Follower Relationship
Saddam Hussein of Iraq: A Political Psychology Profile
This is one of those unique moments in history when personality and political behavior of one key political actor are of determinative significance. The answers to many of key questions with which this committee is grappling depend upon a clear understanding of motivations, perceptions, and decisionmaking of Saddam Hussein. To provide a framework for this complex political leader, a comprehensive political psychology profile has been developed. S…
The Immortal Ataturk: A Psychobiography
Notes on a psychodynamic theory of terrorist behavior
Because of the diversity of terrorist groups and causes, there is no one terrorist “mindset.” Within this diversity it is useful to distinguish two major categories: the “anarchic‐ideologues,” such as the Red Army Faction, committed to destroying the world of their fathers; and the “nationalist‐secessionists,” such as ETA of the Basques, who carry on the mission of their fathers. There is a tendency for marginal, isolated, and inadequate individu…
The Radical Group in Context: 1. An Integrated Framework for the Analysis of Group Risk for Terrorism
On the basis of a systematic expert knowledge acquisition process, a framework has been developed that takes into account critical variables--internal and external, as well as interactions between them and the group under examination--that are understood to increase risk for escalation toward political violence. The indicators identified are grouped within four conceptual categories: (1) External factors, including historical, cultural, and conte…
The Seasons of a Leader's Life: Influences of the Life Cycle on Political Behavior
Rewarding Fire with Fire: Effects of Retaliation on Terrorist Group Dynamics
Comparative studies of the psychology of terrorism indicate that there is no one terrorist mindset, A theme in common among the disparate groups is the strong need of marginal alienated individuals to join a group of like‐minded individuals with a similar world view that "it's us against them, and they are the cause of our problems." This strong need to belong gives particular force to the power of group dynamics. While the ideology is the glue t…
Woodrow Wilson Re-Examined: The Mind-Body Controversy Redux and Other Disputations
The complexities of Woodrow Wilson's personality and political behavior continue to excite lively scholarly controversy. This essay focuses on the origins of Wilson's self-defeating behavior in his academic and political careers, and whether that behavior reflected psychodynamic and characterologic issues, as has been hypothesized by Alexander and Juliette George, or was instead the consequence of a series of strokes, the assertion of Dr. Edwin W…
Executive dysfunction, brain aging, and political leadership
Decision-making is an essential component of executive function, and a critical skill of political leadership. Neuroanatomic localization studies have established the prefrontal cortex as the critical brain site for executive function. In addition to the prefrontal cortex, white matter tracts as well as subcortical brain structures are crucial for optimal executive function. Executive function shows a significant decline beginning at age 60, and …
Reframing of Martyrdom and Jihad and the Socialization of Suicide Terrorists
The History and Evolution of Martyrdom in the Service of Defensive Jihad: An Analysis of Suicide Bombers in Current Conflicts
Farhana AN and Jerrold Post The History and Evolution of Martyrdom in the Service of Defensive Jihad An Analysis of Suicide Bombers in Current Conflicts MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THE IRAQ. WAR, EM PHASIZING NOT only the failure of US policies but also the internecine fighting among the varied groups, including Al Qaeda and Shia and Sunni militias, all of which have contributed to the carnage in a country with deep histori cal Islamic roots. Ir…
The Radical Group in Context: 2. Identification of Critical Elements in the Analysis of Risk for Terrorism by Radical Group Type
In this second of two linked articles describing an integrated framework for the analysis of risk for terrorism of a radical group, a subset of observable indicators for each of the 32 variables within the integrated framework is presented. On the basis of an expert knowledge acquisition process, five types of terrorist groups-- nationalist-separatist, religious fundamentalist, new religions (other religious extremists, including millenarian cult…
The Psychology of WMD Terrorism
The concern for superterrorism using CBRN weapons has generally focused on what terrorists can do and what our societal vulnerabilities are, with scant attention to terrorist motivations, their incentives, and constraints. In considering which in the spectrum of terrorist groups might be inclined to carry out acts of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) terrorism, it is important to differentiate the spectrum of such acts as well…
Differentiating the threat of chemical and biological terrorism: Motivations and constraints
There is a heightened concern in the United States over the specter of a catastrophic domestic chemical or biological terrorist attack. Billions are being invested in training first responders for what is acknowledged to be a high consequence-low probability event. However, although substantial investment is being devoted to protecting our vulnerable society from such a devastating act, there is very little attention being devoted to who might do…
Building Community Resilience to Counter Violent Extremism
The Obama administration's new approach to countering violent extremism through engaging community partners challenges us to make a paradigm shift in how we understand the causes of terrorism. This approach is supported by theory, research findings, practice knowledge, and policy successes. However, for the US government to deliver on its promise of building community resilience, it is necessary to better understand the meanings of resilience as …
From car bombs to logic bombs: The growing threat from information terrorism
The vulnerability of the critical infrastructure has led to increasing concern that it will be the target of terrorist attacks. This article explores definitional aspects of information terrorism and identifies two groups likely to find information terrorism attractive: conventional terrorist groups and information culture groups. As computer sophisticated youth move into the ranks of conventional terrorist groups, the groups will increase their …
When Illness Strikes the Leader: The Dilemma of the Captive King
Worlds in collision, worlds in collusion: The uneasy relationship between the counterterrorism policy community and the academic community∗
This paper explores the tension and barriers to cooperation between the government and academic communities in policy‐relevant areas. In the field of political terrorism, the time urgency of dealing with violence or the threat of violence characterizes the government professional's approach, while the academic views terrorism with a long‐range perspective. Other differences in missions, role requirements, and attitudes within the two communities …
The psychopolitics of hatred: Commentary on Ervin Staub's article
To understand the psychological basis for ethnic cleansing and man's inhumanity to man, it is critical to understand the powerful relationship of malignant leaders and vulnerable followers. At times of political and economic transition, hate-mongering demagogues, serving as malignant group therapists to their wounded nations, can pro- vide sense-making explanations for their beleaguered followers, exporting the source of their difficulties to an …
Choosing a Healthy President
This article considers the requirement for-but dilemmas in-health screening of presidential candidates. It surveys the experience the United States has had since 1931 with the health of candidates for the presidency, especially those who have been elected. The tripartite role of the president-as chief executive, as party leader, and as national symbol/model-is stressed. Several instances of deception, or at least lack of candor, are described. Th…
When Illness Strikes the Leader: The Dilemma of the Captive King
Journal Article When Illness Strikes the Leader: The Dilemma of the Captive King. By Jerrold M. Post and Robert S. Robins. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993. xviii, 243 pp. ISBN 0-3000-5683-4.) Get access Robert H. Ferrell Robert H. Ferrell Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Journal of American History, Volume 81, Issue 1, June 1994, Page 237, https://doi.org/10.…
Response to Ghadban
What Are They Doing To Our Patients Now: Conflict and Resolution on a Psychiatric Research Ward
The Seasons of a Leader's Life: Influences of the Life Cycle on Political Behavior
Sir Thomas West and the Statute of Rapes, 1382
Sir Thomas West and the Statute of Rapes, 1382 Get access J. B. POST J. B. POST Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research, Volume 53, Issue 127, May 1980, Pages 24–30, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2281.1980.tb01726.x Published: 12 October 2007
"Reply to the Three Comments on "Woodrow Wilson Re-Examined: The Mind-Body Controversy Redux and Other Disputations
My intent in preparing this article was neither to calm troubled waters nor to fish in them, but rather to build a bridge over them. However, the parties to the dispute deal only lightly with the bridging comments, and for the most part use the occasion of my article as an opportunity once again to take issue with each other. Weinstein addresses at considerable length his basis for diagnosing dyslexia, a hypothesis with which I do not disagree. T…
Woodrow Wilson Re-Examined: The Mind-Body Controversy Redux and Other Disputations
The complexities of Woodrow Wilson's personality and political behavior continue to excite lively scholarly controversy. This essay focuses on the origins of Wilson's self-defeating behavior in his academic and political careers, and whether that behavior reflected psychodynamic and characterologic issues, as has been hypothesized by Alexander and Juliette George, or was instead the consequence of a series of strokes, the assertion of Dr. Edwin W…
Notes on a psychodynamic theory of terrorist behavior
Because of the diversity of terrorist groups and causes, there is no one terrorist “mindset.” Within this diversity it is useful to distinguish two major categories: the “anarchic‐ideologues,” such as the Red Army Faction, committed to destroying the world of their fathers; and the “nationalist‐secessionists,” such as ETA of the Basques, who carry on the mission of their fathers. There is a tendency for marginal, isolated, and inadequate individu…
The Young Richelieu: A Psychoanalytic Approach to Leadership
A Review of The Language of the Heart
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Narcissism and the Charismatic Leader-Follower Relationship
Rewarding Fire with Fire: Effects of Retaliation on Terrorist Group Dynamics
Comparative studies of the psychology of terrorism indicate that there is no one terrorist mindset, A theme in common among the disparate groups is the strong need of marginal alienated individuals to join a group of like‐minded individuals with a similar world view that "it's us against them, and they are the cause of our problems." This strong need to belong gives particular force to the power of group dynamics. While the ideology is the glue t…
The Immortal Ataturk: A Psychobiography
The Paranoid Political Actor
The psychodynamics and clinical phenomenology of the paranoid position are related to the phenomenon of the paranoid political actor. The paranoid political actor's interaction with the environment has characteristics of a self-fulfilling prophecy, for his defensive aggression ultimately creates a genuinely hostile environment which he at first only delusively fears. While the flagrant paranoid is usually recognized as ill, the unrecognized paran…
Worlds in collision, worlds in collusion: The uneasy relationship between the counterterrorism policy community and the academic community∗
This paper explores the tension and barriers to cooperation between the government and academic communities in policy‐relevant areas. In the field of political terrorism, the time urgency of dealing with violence or the threat of violence characterizes the government professional's approach, while the academic views terrorism with a long‐range perspective. Other differences in missions, role requirements, and attitudes within the two communities …
Fundamentalism and the justification of terrorist violence
Terrorism: Review of 1988 and prospects for 1989
The Impact of Illness on World Leaders
The George Washington university conferences on terrorism: Current understanding of terrorist motivation and psychology: Implications for a differentiated Antiterrorist policy
(1990). The George Washington university conferences on terrorism. Terrorism: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 165-168
The George Washington university conferences on terrorism: Superterrorism: Biological, chemical, and nuclear
The Captive King and His Captive Court: The Psychopolitical Dynamics of the Disabled Leader and His Inner Circle
Drawing on case material from recent and past history, this paper systematically examines the effects of leader disability on political decision making and behavior, giving special attention to the complex relationship between the disabled leader and his inner circle. Four groups of factors are examined: (1) factors related to the illness itself, including whether the illness is physical or mental, and whether the disability is temporary or prete…
Saddam Hussein of Iraq: A Political Psychology Profile
This is one of those unique moments in history when personality and political behavior of one key political actor are of determinative significance. The answers to many of key questions with which this committee is grappling depend upon a clear understanding of motivations, perceptions, and decisionmaking of Saddam Hussein. To provide a framework for this complex political leader, a comprehensive political psychology profile has been developed. S…
Afterword
Worlds in collision, worlds in collusion: The uneasy relationship between the policy community and the academic community
Both the government national security policy community and the academic community are concerned with problems of political terrorism. A major gap exists, however, between these two communities in terms of cooperation and information flow. This gap reflects differences in primary mission, role definition, professional training, and career considerations. The government practitioner's requirement for dealing with crises and producing immediate resu…
Response to Ghadban
Current Concepts of the Narcissistic Personality: Implications for Political Psychology
In the past two decades, increasing attention has focused on the etiology and clinical manifestations of the narcissistic personality. This article reviews current concepts of the narcissistic personality, drawing special attention to the implications for political psychology. The decision-making of the narcissistic leader, especially crisis decision-making, is often impaired. The narcissistic leader has difficulty accepting criticism or new info…
Reflections of a Talking Head
Political science (42 works) · Psychology (37 works) · Law (33 works) · Law (24 works) · Criminology (23 works) · Sociology (21 works) · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence (21 works) · Politics (20 works) · Social Psychology (20 works) · Terrorism (20 works)