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La vice-présidence américaine contemporaine : une école pour la présidence?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2008

Karine Prémont
Karine Prémont*
Affiliation:
Université du Québec à Montréal
*
Karine Prémont, Département de science politique, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), case postale 8888, succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal (Québec) H3C 3P8; kpremont@gmail.com
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Abstract

Résumé. La vice-présidence est probablement l'institution la plus sous-estimée de la démocratie américaine. Souvent la cible de quolibets, elle a cependant réussi à se transformer et à se définir au fil des années. Aujourd'hui, les vice-présidents sont presque automatiquement pressentis à la présidence et d'ailleurs, la majorité d'entre eux ont cette ambition. Que s'est-il donc passé pour que la vice-présidence devienne une institution d'où peut émaner un éventuel président? Pour répondre à cette question, nous examinons, dans un premier temps, les changements externes qui ont contribué à modifier les fonctions vice-présidentielles. Dans un deuxième temps, nous comparons quatre vice-présidents contemporains (Nixon, Ford, Mondale et Bush) pour tenter de voir s'il existe une corrélation entre le mode de gestion qu'ils ont adopté et leur succès ou leur échec durant leur campagne présidentielle. Finalement, nous abordons d'autres pistes de réflexion afin de cerner les éléments qui permettraient d'expliquer en quoi la vice-présidence est un atout pour d'éventuels candidats à la présidence.

Abstract. The vice-presidency is probably the most unappreciated and the most underestimated institution of the American democracy. Often the target of gibes, it nevertheless achieved a radical transformation years after years. Now, vice-presidents are almost always considered for the presidency and moreover, the majority of them have the ambition to be president someday since World War II. What can explain that the vice-presidency, not ridiculed anymore, is now an institution where one can find the next president of the United States? To answer this question, we initially examine the external changes that affected the vice-presidential functions. Secondly, we compare four contemporary vice-presidents (Nixon, Ford, Mondale and Bush) in order to see if their management style is linked to their chances to be president. Finally, we talk about other considerations that could explain why the vice-presidency is a significant asset for those who want to be president.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 41 , Issue 4 , December 2008 , pp. 953 - 972
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association 2008

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