Presidential Selection: Theory and Development
- ISBN-10
- 0691076022
- ISBN-13
- 9780691076027
- Series
- Presidential Selection
- Category
- Political Science
- Pages
- 371
- Language
- English
- Published
- 1979
- Publisher
- Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press
- Authors
- James W. Ceaser, Stanley Kelley
Description
Examining the development of the process of presidential selection from the founding of the republic to the present day, James Ceaser contends that many of the major purposes of the selection system as it was formerly understood have been ignored by current reformers and modern scholars. In an attempt to reverse this trend, Professor Ceaser discusses the theories of selection offered by leading American statesmen from the Founders and Thomas Jefferson to Martin Van Buren and Woodrow Wilson. From these theories he identifies a set of criteria for a sound selection system that he then uses to analyze and evaluate the recent changes in the selection process. Five normative functions of a presidential selection system comprise the author's criteria: it should minimize the harmful effects of ambitious contenders for the office, promote responsible executive leadership and power, help secure an able president, ensure a legitimate accession, and provide for an appropriate amount of choice and change. Professor Ceaser finds that the present system is characterized by weak parties and candidate-centered campaigns that lead to the problems of "image" politics and demagogic leadership appeals. He therefore argues for a more republican selection system in which political parties would be strengthened to serve as a restraining force on popular authority, public opinion, and individual aspirations for executive power.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 1979-06-21
- 392 pages
- Paperback
- Princeton University Press
Similar books
-
Perspectives on Presidential Selection
By Donald R. MatthewsPerspectives on Presidential Selection
-
Controversial Issues in Presidential Selection: Second Edition
By Gary L. RoseThis new edition provides the latest on controversies surrounding the presidential selection process.
-
Few are Chosen: Problems in Presidential Selection
By Robert E. DiClerico, Eric M. UslanerFew are Chosen: Problems in Presidential Selection
-
(S)Electing the President: The Perils of Democracy
By Michael L. MezeyThis book examines the commitment to the widest level of participation among the largest number of citizens in the selection of the president.
-
What Is a Presidential Election?: With Activities, Stickers, and a Poster!
By Who HQ, Douglas YackaThe 2020 Election is here! And so is this book, which tells young readers all about presidential campaigns and American politics--complete with stickers, activities, and a color-your-own Electoral Map poster! Who can run for president?
-
The Selection and Election of Presidents
By Daniel Gasman, Robert S. HirschfieldThe exchanges resulting from the seminars that are the basis of this volume provide a still-valuable outline of how the American system works when presidents are selected.
-
By One Vote: The Disputed Presidential Election of 1876
By Michael Fitzgibbon HoltWith electoral votes disputed in three states, a Democrat winning the popular vote, and the Supreme Court stepping in to overrule Florida court decisions, the presidential election of 1876 was...
-
Conventional Wisdom and American Elections: Exploding Myths, Exploring Misconceptions
By Peter L. Francia, Jody C. Baumgartner... H. Argersinger, “New Perspectives on Election Fraud in the Gilded Age,” Political Science Quarterly 100 (Winter 1985–1986): 669–87. 36. McDonald and Popkin, “The Myth of the Vanishing Voter,” 964. 37. Jerrold G. Rusk, “The Effect of ...
-
Reforming the Presidential Nominating Process: Front-Loading's Consequences and the National Primary Solution
By Lisa K. ParshallViewed from the party membership perspective, this work illuminates the fundamental interests at stake that should be considered in any potential reform of the presidential nominating system.
-
The 2016 Presidential Election: The Causes and Consequences of a Political Earthquake
By Kenneth R. Mayer, Richard J. Powell, Amnon CavariThis edited collection evaluates the election and its outcome by analyzing the campaign, voting preferences and forecasts, and some predictions and assessments of President Trump’s administration.