Hyper Progressive Ambition Theory Through the Lens of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Barack H. Obama: Candidacy, Election, and Transition to the Presidency
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Date
2014-12-23
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Johns Hopkins University
Abstract
Joseph Schlesinger in his seminal work Ambition and Politics: Political Careers in the United States defined the particular types of ambition that determined which politicians ran for what level of political office. In building out Schlesinger’s typology to include the innovative concept of hyper progressive ambition, this paper seeks to answer Schlesinger’s unasked question of just how progressively ambitious politicians would achieve their goals once elected to office. The campaigns, presidential transitions and early administrations of presidents John F. Kennedy and Barack H. Obama are examined to identify the characteristics of the hyper progressive candidate-turned-president and determine what safeguards such candidates should take to best position themselves for a successful administration.
The paper will describe the foundations of progressive ambition theory as termed by Arthur Schlesinger in his seminal work "Ambition and Politics: Political Careers in the United States", then identify the theory's failure to explain 'how' politicians run for higher office. It will explore selected data tests to demonstrate via quantitative data and examples from qualitative research how candidates-turned-leaders Kennedy and Obama actuated their hyper progressive ambitious abilities and stratagems. Synthesized from this paper’s findings, hyper progressive politicians will 1. Know generally what they hope to accomplish in office, but 2. Will not have accrued the necessary experience and connections to actuate stated goals.
To profit from the lessons of this paper and thus from the past experience of the Kennedy and Obama transitions and early administrations, new hyper progressive candidates must first maintain existing decision making and risk management structures. Secondly, they must be sure to both 1. Appoint advisers from a variety of different schools of thought e.g., not Clintonian economists only, and 2. They must avoid bringing predominately inexperienced hands into the advisory ranks (the hyper progressive president themselves is already lacking in government experience). By adhering to these transition guidelines, the next hyper progressive candidate-turned-president may hope to have installed satisfactory safeguards against the potential pitfalls of the hyper progressive candidate. By controlling for their inexperience, the hyper progressive president may effectively embark on the enterprises they so winningly proposed to the American people.
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Keywords
hyper, ambition