The Presidential Campaign

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THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN The leadership selection process after Watergate An essay by STEPHEN HESS
Arguing that the pohtical campaign is one way of testing potential Presidents, this essay analyzes the qualities— personal, political, and executive—expected in a President and evaluates the effectiveness of the campaign as a test. To what extent do campaigns give voters the information necessary to make rational choices? Changes in communications, particularly television, have added to information, but have also increased possibilities for distortion. And although the campaign may probe the assets and liabilities of those who seek the presidency, there may be too few candidates from whom to make a satisfactory choice. An important question is whether "enough" and the "right" sorts of persons choose to run for President.
The method of campaign financing continues to be a matter of great concern, and the national reaction to the Watergate affair has afforded an opportunity for... Tovább

Fülszöveg

THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN The leadership selection process after Watergate An essay by STEPHEN HESS
Arguing that the pohtical campaign is one way of testing potential Presidents, this essay analyzes the qualities— personal, political, and executive—expected in a President and evaluates the effectiveness of the campaign as a test. To what extent do campaigns give voters the information necessary to make rational choices? Changes in communications, particularly television, have added to information, but have also increased possibilities for distortion. And although the campaign may probe the assets and liabilities of those who seek the presidency, there may be too few candidates from whom to make a satisfactory choice. An important question is whether "enough" and the "right" sorts of persons choose to run for President.
The method of campaign financing continues to be a matter of great concern, and the national reaction to the Watergate affair has afforded an opportunity for enacting improvements. The author proposes ways to raise and regulate money in politics so as to encourage good people to run for office, minimize corruption, and create a healthier political climate.
Besides assessing the campaign as a process of selection, the author examines other uses of the presidential campaign: as a way of holding leaders accountable for past actions; as a way of formulating policy; as a national self-examination; and as entertainment. He concludes with an agenda for reform.
Stephen Hess, a Brookings senior fellow, has served on the staffs of two Presidents and is author or coauthor of five books on American politics. Vissza