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Vice Presidents and Other Heirs Apparent: The Historical Experience of Experience
Author(s) -
JONES CHARLES O.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
presidential studies quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.337
H-Index - 5
eISSN - 1741-5705
pISSN - 0360-4918
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-5705.2008.02653.x
Subject(s) - presidential system , candidacy , cabinet (room) , contest , political science , white (mutation) , vice president , law , victory , service (business) , public administration , management , politics , history , economics , biochemistry , chemistry , economy , archaeology , gene
The 2008 presidential campaign is said to be an open contest, one lacking an incumbent seeking reelection or an heir apparent. It is true that neither a vice president nor a cabinet official with a presidential endorsement is running. But Hillary Clinton has validated her candidacy on the basis of her experience as first lady, a claim endorsed by her husband, a former president. This special form of heir apparentness raises questions about the historical experience of White House experience. The record shows that heirs apparent running as inheritors (vice presidents), endorsees (cabinet secretaries), or self‐declarers (mostly claimants some years hence from their service) have a mixed record of getting nominated, elected, or reelected. Further, the winners have average to below‐average presidential service as rated by presidential scholars. Of the top‐ranked presidents in two recent surveys, just one, Thomas Jefferson, had previous White House experience. The article speculates as to why this should be so.