Bruce Bartlett beats me to the punch
Bruce Bartlett’s latest column opens with a suggestion that I’ve had in the back of my head for some time: I have long believed that presidential challengers would help themselves by announcing at least some of their top appointments before the election. After all, we already know the incumbent’s appointees. I think it would help ...
Bruce Bartlett's latest column opens with a suggestion that I've had in the back of my head for some time:
Bruce Bartlett’s latest column opens with a suggestion that I’ve had in the back of my head for some time:
I have long believed that presidential challengers would help themselves by announcing at least some of their top appointments before the election. After all, we already know the incumbent’s appointees. I think it would help many voters make up their minds and swing a few if they had a better idea of how a candidate’s actions would match his words. In Europe, where parliamentary systems predominate, this sort of thing is taken for granted. Opposition parties always have “shadow cabinets,” where designated people target particular departments for special attention. They are assumed to be given those portfolios should their party gain a majority, and often are. Not only does this give voters much greater knowledge of what to expect should the opposition gain control, it gives valuable experience and training to those in line to become ministers in a new government. And shadow cabinets make it easier to create coalitions and help assuage the fears of those wary of changing horses in the middle of a stream.
I vaguely recall that Bob Dole contemplated but rejected this strategy back in 1996. I can see downsides to this strategy — in particular, such an announcement increases the number of official mouthpieces — which increases the likelihood of one of them committing a gaffe/revealing a personal scandal that saps time and energy from Kerry. However, such a gambit could make a transition much easier, in that it provides a public vetting for key cabinet officials, and might reverse a disturbing trend of lengthier and lengthier confirmation ordeals. Do read the rest of Bartlett’s column, as he posits the composition of Kerry’s economic team. UPDATE: Some have suggested that an opposition candidate can’t propose a shadow cabinet, because it’s illegal to offer anyone a position prior to election. It strikes me that there are so many ways around that law that it’s not much of an impediment. Just name someone as the “official party spokesman” for the issue, for example. Also, I wouldn’t propose naming a complete shadow cabinet — perhaps just the “power ministries” — State, Defense, Treasury, Justice, and now DHS. ANOTHER UPDATE: More on this from Matthew Yglesias, Tom Grey, and Jacob Levy.
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
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