One of the advantages of living in a democracy is that politicians are freely reported by the news media. Their frequent appearances on television are of most interest to the student of
body language, since it is here that they can be most conveniently studied. Like football matches, politicians are best watched on TV. The use of close-ups, the ability to use videotape recordings to watch a piece of behaviour over and over again, and a reasonably close-to-nature colour system all help to provide an abundance of information.
When sitting, politicians tend to adopt forward lean. This indicates a desire to cooperate with the listener in discussion. They often use more eye contact when they are speaking than is normal - not only to make them appear dominant but also to give them a better chance of controlling or regulating the interaction between themselves and their interviewers. They also
try to have the last word in interviews because they realize not
only the verbal effect of achieving this but also the non-verbal cffect. We tend to believe that the last word on a subject should be allowed to the person of highest status present.
When they are standing, politicians use gestures so exaggerated as to put the ham Victorian actor to shame. Demagogues will saw the air wildly as they rant and rave. They will thump the table, point accusingly, raise their arms in appeals to the Almighty and pause dramatically after a particularly felicitous phrase for applause. Even quite mild politicians seem to change personality once they are on the rostrum. It is like the pedestrian, k ind and considerate, who becomes the road hog once he or she gets behind the wheel of a car.
Politicians take great pains to conceal their attempts to deceive people. They have to deceive people, not because they are fundamentally less honest than the rest of us, but because they have to present policies sufficiently different from those of their opponents to command our support. They know that, once in office, they will not be able to carry out those policies without modifications which make their policies similar to those of their opponents. In other words, in governing the modern state, the options available to governments are limited. Hence, the politician who claims to be going to do things differently has a credibility gap to overcome. It is a gap which few cross successfully. Those who do make sure that they control the lower parts of their bodies, which is where the tell-tale signals will be given. It is not for nothing that the public speaking politician frequently hides behind a lectern stand or, when seated, uses a table drape to conceal the giveaway areas.
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CD ... oPoliticians seek to be trusted. They will maintain eye contact with a frank look. They will have a firm, warm handshake. They will nod frequently when listening, as if anxious to know the finest detail of your problem. They will place a protective arm around your shoulder - and you will be outside the door before you realize its purpose was to steer you out to make way for the next supplicant. Above all, they will smile.
The major political parties train their principal spokesmen and women in how to deal with the media and how to present a favourable image both of themselves and of the party. This image is established and maintained almost entirely non verbally. After all, the words of the policies and the speeches exist already and if they were inadequate no amount of image manipulation in the world would help. Politicians have been known to change their clothing, to change their hair styles, to soften the tone of their voices and to alter their posture and gesture pattern in the quest for a better image.
In the UK there are even differences between the parties. The typical Conservative male wears a dark suit, shirt and tie, has a smart hairstyle and polished shoes. His skin is smooth and he has the air of being well fed. His accent is middle-class and the tone confident and assured. His gestures are restrained and his posture either upright or casually asymmetrical. The Conservative female is similarly conventionally dressed and well groomed. Her voice, manner and behaviour match the male's perfectly. The Labour male, on the other hand, has less of an interest in appearance. His voice may contain any one of a myriad of accents from upper crust to working class. Posture is more hunched and gestures made with less thought for their effect. They tend to stand closer than their Conservative counterparts and they use the head cock of interest more. The Labour female is more likely than a Conservative to wear casual clothes. Her hairstyle may not be quite as smooth, but more natural. Gestures will be more like the man, as whose equal she rightly regards herself, and she makes a great deal of use of the head nod and the head cock.
The body language of minority groups and of demonstrators at such events as peace marches repays careful observation. At the other end of the political activity range is the body language of the statesman. This is characterized by low peripheral movement, restraint in upper body gestures, upright postures, restrained head movements, slight smiles in public and a measured, even pace of speech. Observe television reports of meetings between heads of
states and of the United Nations and you will see how often this apparent stereotype occurs. The body language of international statesmen is becoming as standard as the services and facilities in international hotels. In fact, political body language all over the world is assuming a sameness - which is discouraging rather than hopeful. One of the problems of homogeneity is that it tends to lead people to assume that they are all using the same meaning of a word or gesture, when this may not be the case. At least if differences between people are preserved, some care is taken not to assume that an action means one thing when it might mean something else.