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The Reformed Nominating System: Its Critics and Uses
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 November 2022
Extract
The debate on the current presidential nominating system centers on the consequences of formal changes in the rules and laws governing it: the formalization of opportunities for participation in the Democratic Party as well as changes like public financing and the increased number of primaries affecting both parties. These changes undoubtedly have made the process more permeable and have thereby diminished the power of party elites and enhanced that of the shapers of mass participation such as candidate organizations, direct mail and communications specialists, and the mass media. Critics have faulted this system for replacing party professionals with others less interested in or less able to select nominees popular with voters and capable of governing if elected. In this short essay, I will examine some of the critics' arguments, note some positive effects of the reforms, and suggest that the new system is an apt one for the present, de-aligned electoral environment.
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- Copyright © The American Political Science Association 1983
References
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