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Smith (and Jones) Go to Washington: Democracy and Vice-Presidential Selection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2012

Joseph Uscinski
Joseph Uscinski
Affiliation:
University of Miami
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Abstract

The American vice president's most notable constitutional function is that of succession: if the president unexpectedly leaves office, the vice president becomes president. The process of selecting vice-presidential running mates has fallen into fewer hands over time, moving from the electorate, to party bosses and delegates, to a single person: the presidential candidate. The selection process presents challenges for democratic governance: electoral considerations may provide presidential candidates with incentive to choose vice-presidential running mates who differ from themselves politically. In cases of succession, this can lead to undemocratic outcomes and unstable policy.

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PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 45 , Issue 1 , January 2012 , pp. 58 - 66
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Copyright © American Political Science Association 2012

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