Picking the Vice Presidential Nominees: What Should We Look For?

The Humphrey School's Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota and Presidential Studies Quarterly convened a national conference on Monday, March 24th to examine the selection of the vice presidential running mates in 2008.

As both the Democratic and Republican Parties move toward selecting their respective presidential nominees, attention will now shift to the selection of the vice presidential running mate. The increased power and responsibility of the vice presidency under Richard Cheney makes the selection of the running mate more important than ever.

The rules for selecting running mates seem scrambled, however. The old rules of using the vice presidential pick to create a "balanced" ticket in terms of region, party factions, and other factors no longer consistently apply. Bill Clinton and George Bush both chose running mates that were similar to themselves in many respects.

What should we look for in the next vice president? What political factors are likely to influence the selection of a running mate in 2008? What role should be played by experience, temperament, and understanding of the role of the Office of the Vice President? What should we look for in a running mate's understanding of the Vice President's role within America's constitutional system?

Join Vice President Walter Mondale, former Governor and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson and other prominent scholars, George Edwards III, Joel Goldstein, Lawrence Jacobs, Douglas Kriner, Richard Moe, Kathryn Pearson, and Steven Schier to discuss the political, personal, and institutional considerations in selecting vice presidential nominees.

View Conference Agenda