American Vice Presidency

Jody C Baumgartner is associate professor of political science at Eastern Carolina University and the author of Conventional Wisdom and American Elections: Exploding Myths, Exploring Misconceptions. Thomas F. Crumblin is an independent researcher and author who received a bachelor's degree in political science from Syracuse University. His interests include American and British politics along with media and politics.

• Chapter 1. Introduction: The Vice PresidencyChapter 2. Origins: The Constitutional Convention & Pre-Twelfth Amendment Vice PresidentsChapter 3. The Traditional Era: Nineteenth Century Vice PresidentsChapter 4. Setting the Stage: Transitional Era Vice PresidentsChapter 5. The Rise of the Modern Vice PresidencyChapter 6. Vice Presidents in the Modern AgeChapter 7. Al Gore and the Gore-Clinton PartnershipChapter 8. Dick Cheney: George W. Bush’s Loyal LieutenantChapter 9. Joe Biden: Barack Obama’s HandymanChapter 10. Making Sense of it All: The Future of the Vice Presidency

Baumgartner and Crumblin provide a detailed account of the history and development of the American vice presidents. The authors do a good job of surveying the early period from the Constitutional Convention to the late 19th century, and also provide an assessment of the transition of the position into the modern era. The particular benefit of the book, however, is the authors’ coverage of the most recent vice presidents: Al Gore, Dick Cheney, and Joe Biden. Their assessment of Cheney—easily one of the most controversial vice presidents—covers his influence over national security policy to his role in George W. Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign, and is thorough and fair. A similar treatment is given of Biden, who, like Cheney and Gore before him, is a key presidential adviser. Baumgartner and Crumblin do well in showing that the office of the vice president is no longer ‘a resting place for mediocrities’ as Arthur Schlesinger once opined. Instead, it is an important position that attracts strong and forceful politicians. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers and undergraduate students all levels.