Mueller's Definition
Political scientist John Mueller wrote his landmark paper Presidential Popularity from Truman to Johnson in 1970, where he conceived the idea of the effect. Mueller defined the effect as coming from an event with three qualities:
- "Is international"
- "Involves the United States and particularly the President directly"
- "Specific, dramatic, and sharply focused"
In addition, Mueller created five categories of rallies. These categories are considered dated by modern political scientists, as they rely heavily on Cold War events. Mueller's five categories are:
- "Sudden US military intervention" (e.g., Korean War, Bay of Pigs Invasion)
- "Major diplomatic actions" (e.g., Truman Doctrine)
- "Dramatic technological developments" (e.g., Sputnik)
- "US-Soviet summit meetings" (e.g., Potsdam Conference)
- "Major military developments in ongoing wars" (e.g., Tet Offensive)
Read more about this topic: Rally 'round The Flag Effect
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