Vice presidents deserve more attention than they usually get. A new book edited by University of Dayton political scientist Chris Devine brings together leading scholars to trace the growing influence of vice presidents and running mates in American politics.
“People sometimes see the vice presidency as a powerless or ceremonial role,” Devine said. “But it can shape a campaign, a presidency and, at times, the direction of the country.”
Second in Command, co-edited with Karine Prémont, a political science professor at the Université de Sherbrooke (Quebec), examines how modern vice presidents have been transformed from an afterthought to one of the president’s most important governing partners, influencing White House policy on major domestic and foreign policy decisions. The book also explores the role of vice-presidential running mates, showing how their impact on presidential campaigns has evolved over the years.
Devine also contributes a chapter on the 2020 election, written with Kyle Kopko, that shows vice-presidential candidates from both parties have become less popular in recent elections and typically do not have much influence on voters. However, they find that Kamala Harris helped Joe Biden win over Black and women voters in the 2020 election.
“Who fills the vice presidency matters,” said Devine, an author of Do Running Mates Matter? with Kopko. “That means voters, journalists and party leaders need to move beyond the old caricatures and take a more serious look at who is being chosen for the job.”