Making of the Presidential Candidates 2020

Jonathan Bernstein is a columnist for Bloomberg View. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1999, and was previously an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Texas at San Antonio. His research is in political parties, the presidency, and democracy He was co-editor of The Making of the Presidential Candidates 2012.Casey B. K. Dominguez is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of San Diego. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2005. Her research specialties are congressional elections, political parties, and the presidency. Dr. Dominguez has published articles on presidential elections, the presidential honeymoon, and party involvement in congressional primaries. Her ongoing research focuses on the development of presidential war powers and on the relationships between political parties and interest groups.

Every four years the US ends up with two major candidates for president. This book explains the various hurdles that all candidates must jump in order to become one of the final two. First there is the coalition, and the need to draw on and preserve that coalition; party elites and activists try to secure a candidate who can win and who represents the principles of various factions. Female candidates have to respond to the masculine norms established by past presidents. Elaborate party rules about how delegate support is earned must be heeded. Likewise norms of media coverage: reporters are intrigued by the new but often tire of a candidate, and the degree of interest shapes the patterns of coverage. Straw polls are conducted, and these affect how possible candidates are seen. Money must be raised—an enormous task—because campaigns are expensive to maintain and candidates must continually demonstrate that they have sufficient donor support. Lastly, candidates must secure votes in party primaries and try to determine who their supporters are so they can shape their general election message accordingly. By way of illustration, the book analyzes the 2016 primaries, looking at how Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton won their party nominations. An excellent and accessible discussion.Summing Up: Recommended. All readers.

• 1. Madame President? Female Candidates, Masculine Norms of Executive Power, and the 2020 Nomination Contest, Linda Beail, Lilly J. Goren, and Mary A. McHugh2. Money: The Resource Race, Casey B. K. Dominguez3. How the News Media Cover and Shape the Nomination, Kathleen Searles and Patrick Rose4. Voter Choice in Presidential Primaries, John Sides, Michael Tesler, and Lynn Vavreck5. Backward Looking, Future Rule-Making: How 2016 Affected the 2020 Presidential Nomination Rules , Josh Putnam6. The Short and Mostly Dismal History of Nomination Straw Polls, William G. Mayer7. The Expanded Party’s Influence, Jonathan Bernstein8. Are Parties Inherently Conservative? Julia Azari9. The System Evolves: Changes in the Presidential Selection Process, 1792–1824, William G. Mayer