Karine Premont and Christopher J. Devine eds., "Second in Command: Reevaluating the Role of Vice Presidents and Running Mates in Modern American Politics" (U Michigan Press, 2026)

The vice presidency, long dismissed as a ceremonial afterthought, has evolved into a pivotal yet informal power center in American governance—driven not by constitutional authority but by presidential choice. In their edited volume *Second in Command*, Christopher J. Devine and Karine Premont reveal how the role transformed after Walter Mondale’s 1976 campaign, when Jimmy Carter and Mondale formalized a new model: a vice president as a trusted, omnipresent advisor with access to all intelligence and decision-making circles. This shift, rooted in the post-1972 Democratic primary reforms that gave presidential nominees months to vet running mates, turned the VP into the 'last person in the room'—a role that amplifies influence without expanding formal power. The book dismantles the myth of the VP as powerless, citing historical instances where figures like Henry Wilson and John Nance Garner actively checked presidential overreach, even as recently as January 6th. Meanwhile, the authors expose a paradox in modern elections: while running mates are more popular within their own party than ever, they are simultaneously more polarizing and less effective at swaying independents or the opposing base. This growing partisanship, combined with the VP’s dual legislative-executive status, suggests a role that is both uniquely elected by the nation and deeply constrained by the president’s will.