Balancing the Ticket: How Selecting A Vice President Has Changed in the Modern Era

Abstract

Over the past century, the role of the vice presidency has increased drastically, to the point that some view the president and the vice president as a co-presidency. When this started and who perpetuated the change is up to debate, but the fact that the vice presidency and the vice-presidential selection process have increased in visibility and importance is not. This project analyzes the changes that occurred in the selection of the vice-presidential running mates in the last four decades by comparing the news coverage of the vice-presidential selection process in the years 1968 and 2000. What characteristics (such as ideology, compatibility, moral character, experience, etc.) do the media value most when reporting on the vice-presidential selection? The study observes the presidential election-year months of March through December in order to acquire data from the time the veepstakes speculation starts—after a presidential candidate secures enough delegates to win the nomination—to after the general election—where the electoral impact of the vice-presidential choice can be interpreted.