The Logic of Presidential Selection

Abstract This chapter returns to why presidents’ select particular nominees. It develops, tests, and uses a new theory of presidential selection of nominees, the ‘characteristics approach.’ It focuses on four of the characteristics that were highlighted in Chapter 4: ideology, policy reliability, race, and gender. At various times and to various degrees, presidents value these characteristics. But beyond a minimal level, none comes for free. If presidents desire characteristics, they must ‘pay’ for them by searching for nominees, vetting them carefully, and perhaps overcoming political opposition. For each characteristic, presidents must weigh benefits against costs. The chapter then marshals a variety of empirical evidence that provides a great deal of support for the characteristics theory. The theory and data show that presidents care deeply about the characteristics of their nominees and the ‘cost’ of obtaining these characteristics declined dramatically over the past decades.