Presidential Mandates: How Elections Shape the National AgendaPresidents have claimed popular mandates for more than 150 years. How can they make such claims when surveys show that voters are uninformed about the issues? In this groundbreaking book, Patricia Conley argues that mandates are not mere statements of fact about the preferences of voters. By examining election outcomes from the politicians' viewpoint, Conley uncovers the inferences and strategies—the politics—that translate those outcomes into the national policy agenda. Presidents claim mandates, Conley shows, only when they can mobilize voters and members of Congress to make a major policy change: the margin of victory, the voting behavior of specific groups, and the composition of Congress all affect their decisions. Using data on elections since 1828 and case studies from Truman to Clinton, she demonstrates that it is possible to accurately predict which presidents will ask for major policy changes at the start of their term. Ultimately, she provides a new understanding of the concept of mandates by changing how we think about the relationship between elections and policy-making. |
Contents
TWO Elections and Presidential | 11 |
THREE Political Inference | 32 |
FOUR Presidential Mandates since 1828 | 51 |
EIGHT Conclusion | 167 |
Other editions - View all
Presidential Mandates: How Elections Shape the National Agenda Patricia Heidotting Conley Limited preview - 2001 |
Presidential Mandates: How Elections Shape the National Agenda Patricia Heidotting Conley No preview available - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
Adam Clymer American argued ballot behavior Bill Clinton Bob Dole Bush's campaign candidates Carter chapter claim a mandate coalition Congressional Quarterly Congressional Quarterly Weekly conservative constituents convention declare a mandate Democratic Party dent Dewey Dukakis E. J. Dionne economic Eisenhower elec election outcomes electoral college votes explanations fight Ford forecast foreign policy George Bush Goldwater Harry Truman House Ibid ideological incentive incumbent inferences interpretation issues Jimmy Carter Johnson Kennedy landslide legislative Lyndon Johnson major policy changes members of Congress Nixon nomination November October paign partisan party control party regime percent Perot policy agenda political politicians popular support popular vote president claimed president's party Presidential Elections primary public opinion Public Papers public support Quarterly Weekly Report R. W. Apple race realigning elections realignment Republican Party Ronald Reagan Ross Perot seats Senate status quo tion Truman University Press V. O. Key Washington York