Suchergebnisse

THE PAPER EXAMINED THE DEGREE TO WHICH POLITICAL CANDIDATES HONORED CAMPAIGN PLEDGES IN OFFICE THROUGH AN ANALYSIS OF PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN PLEDGES AND ACTIONS TAKEN BY PRESIDENTS, 1912-72. RESULTS INDICATE THAT PRESIDENTS KEPT APPROXIMATELY 75% OF THE ISSUE POSITIONS TAKEN IN THEIR CAMPAIGNS. IMPLICATIONS ARE DISCUSSED.

IN AN EARLIER ARTICLE IN THIS JOURNAL ("PREDICTING PRESIDENTIAL PERFORMANCE THROUGH POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS," FALL, 1980), AN EXAMINATION WAS MADE OF PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN PROMISES AS COMPARED TO THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF PRESIDENTS IN OFFICE TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH PRESIDENTS ADHERE TO CAMPAIGN PLEDGES. THE PERIOD FOR THIS STUDY STRETCHED FROM THE WILSON PRESIDENCY TO THE FIRST COMPLETE TERM FOR NIXON ENDING IN 1973. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDED THAT APPROXIMATELY THREE-FOURTHS OF CAMPAIGN PROMISES ARE COMPLETED BY PRESIDENTS DURING THEIR ADMINISTRATIONS. SINCE THE TIME OF THAT ARTICLE, JIMMY CARTER COMPLETED HIS IN OFFICE. USING THE SAME METHODOLOGY AS IN THE PREVIOUS ARTICLE, THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE CAMPAIGN PROMISES ALONG WITH THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF THE CARTER ADMINISTRATION. THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY INDICATE THAT WHILE PRESIDENT CARTER FULFILLED NEARLY SIXTY PERCENT OF HIS CAMPAIGN PLEDGES, HE FAILED TO FULFILL MANY OF HIS MAJOR CAMPAIGN PLEDGES, SUCH AS CURBING UNEMPLOYMENT AND INFLATION; THIS CREATED A NEGATIVE PUBLIC REACTION TOWARDS HIM AND COST HIS RE-ELECTION. THUS, FULFILLING A RESPECTABLE PERCENTAGE OF CAMPAIGN PLEDGES MAY NOT BE AS IMPORTANT FOR PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESS AS MAKING GOOD ON PLEDGES WHICH ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO THE ELECTORATE.