Public Opinion on Presidential Candidate Spouses Analyzed in Elder’s New Book
A new book offers “The most comprehensive study published to date looking at public attitudes toward American presidential candidate spouses,” according to its publisher. “American Presidential Candidate Spouses: The Public’s Perspective” (Palgrave Macmillan) co-authored by Hartwick College Professor of Political Science Dr. Laurel Elder looks at public opinion toward these “important but understudied political actors” over the course of three decades.
The text provides extensive study of public evaluations of First Ladies Melania Trump, Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush—as well as Bill Clinton—during presidential election cycles, and provides historical context.
“My co-authors and I began this project during the Obama presidency,” Elder said. “We, like many Americans, were fascinated by First Lady Michelle Obama. As scholars of public opinion, we were particularly interested in the fact that, despite the racial acrimony and partisan polarization that characterized her husband’s two terms in office, Michelle Obama maintained approval ratings close to 70 percent and proved to be a major asset in both of her husband’s presidential campaigns. Our investigation into the surprising popularity (and in the case of the 2016 election, surprising unpopularity) of presidential candidate spouses, resulted in this book.”
The work uses multiple theoretical frameworks, including the concept of “new traditionalism” and a plethora of empirical data, to explore why some spouses are more popular than others, and what these reactions reveal about the American public.
“The book considers important trends in U.S. elections, including party polarization from the distinctive vantage points of candidate spouses, and explores the symbolic importance of historic firsts including the first African American candidate spouse and the first male candidate spouse,” said Palgrave Macmillan. “No other work provides a systematic exploration of public opinion towards candidate spouses as distinct political entities across the modern political era.”
“My co-authors and I began this project during the Obama presidency,” Elder said. “We, like many Americans, were fascinated by First Lady Michelle Obama. As scholars of public opinion, we were particularly interested in the fact that, despite the racial acrimony and partisan polarization that characterized her husband’s two terms in office, Michelle Obama maintained approval ratings close to 70 percent and proved to be a major asset in both of her husband’s presidential campaigns. Our investigation into the surprising popularity (and in the case of the 2016 election, surprising unpopularity) of presidential candidate spouses, resulted in this book.”
Elder received her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Colgate University in 1994, and her Ph.D. in 1999 from Ohio State University. She is a professor of political science and the coordinator of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Hartwick College. She teaches a wide array of courses in American politics focusing in particular on public opinion, voting, and elections with specific attention to issues of gender, race, and ethnicity. She is also the co-author of “The Politics of Parenthood: Causes and Consequences of the Politicization and Polarization of the American Family” (SUNY Press, 2012). In 2016, she co-penned the article “Red Parents, Blue Parents: The Politics of Modern Parenthood” in The Forum: A Journal of Applied Research in Contemporary Politics.
Elder studies topics including American politics, women and politics, political parties, elections, and public opinion, and her opinions in these arenas have been featured on The Boston Globe, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Politico.com, and other media outlets.
“American Presidential Candidate Spouses: The Public’s Perspective” is available through the publisher or Amazon.com.
For more information on the book, contact Elder at 607-431-4887 or ElderL@hartwick.edu.