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Article: Presidential Mandates: How Elections Shape the National Agenda.(Review)
- Article from:
- The American Prospect
- Article date:
- July 2, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The American Prospect, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Presidential Mandates: How Elections Shape the National Agenda, by Patricia Heidotting Conley. University of Chicago Press, 184 pages, $17.50
To most politicians who win an election, claiming a mandate is an obvious next step. In their minds, the campaign platform is transformed into the people's will. But political scientists have long been skeptical about interpreting election results as mandates from the voters. Many have argued that mandates exist only in the fevered imaginations of triumphant politicians. The current political mood might lead many to side with the political scientists: President George W. Bush lost the popular vote but he has proceeded as if ...