The Party Decides: Presidential Nominations Before and After Reform
by Marty Cohen, David Karol, Hans Noel and John Zaller
University of Chicago Press, 2008 Cloth: 978-0-226-11236-7 | Paper: 978-0-226-11237-4 | eISBN: 978-0-226-11238-1 Library of Congress Classification JK521.P37 2008 Dewey Decimal Classification 324.273015
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Throughout the contest for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, politicians and voters alike worried that the outcome might depend on the preferences of unelected superdelegates. This concern threw into relief the prevailing notion that—such unusually competitive cases notwithstanding—people, rather than parties, should and do control presidential nominations. But for the past several decades, The Party Decides shows, unelected insiders in both major parties have effectively selected candidates long before citizens reached the ballot box.
Tracing the evolution of presidential nominations since the 1790s, this volume demonstrates how party insiders have sought since America’s founding to control nominations as a means of getting what they want from government. Contrary to the common view that the party reforms of the 1970s gave voters more power, the authors contend that the most consequential contests remain the candidates’ fights for prominent endorsements and the support of various interest groups and state party leaders. These invisible primaries produce frontrunners long before most voters start paying attention, profoundly influencing final election outcomes and investing parties with far more nominating power than is generally recognized.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Marty Cohen is assistant professor of political science at James Madison University. David Karol is assistant professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley. Hans Noel is assistant professor of government at Georgetown University. John Zaller is professor of political science at the University of California, Los Angeles.
REVIEWS
“This fine book will set a new standard on the topic of U.S. presidential nominations and more generally U.S. political parties. The analysis is innovative, empirically anchored, zestfully presented, and credible. It is a natural for parties courses.”
— David Mayhew, Yale University
“The Party Decides presents a powerful case that political parties, properly conceived, remain the dominant force in the post-reform presidential nominating process. Cohen, Karol, Noel, and Zaller revive and sharpen a long-dormant group-centered theory of parties, use that theory insightfully to reanalyze the historical record, and conduct a creative and rigorous empirical assessment of the invisible primary and its impact on the selection of presidential nominees. This is a scholarly tour de force and a provocative challenge to the candidate-centered reporting and commentary on American politics.”
— Thomas E. Mann, Brookings Institution
"The authors make their cases effectively through the use of a number of insightful analogies and creative use of empirical data. The book is a treasure trove of historical information on nomination battles."
— Choice
"In many ways, [this] is a brilliant book in terms of bringing elites and groups back into the study of political parties and presidential nominations. . . . At its best, Cohen et al.'s new paradigms may still be the best guide to presidential nominations for decades to come."
— Andrew Dowdle, Political Science Quarterly
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
1 The Outrageous Nomination of Hubert Humphrey
2 Whose Parties?
3 The Creation of New Parties
4 Weak Structures, Strong Parties
5 Last Hurrahs of the Old System Appendix to Chapter 5: State Parties in 1952
6 Mastering the Postreform System Appendix to Chapter 6: A Closer Look at the Endorsement Data
7 The Invisible Primary: Theory and Evidence
8 Anatomy of a Conversation Appendix to Chapter 8: Models of the Invisible Primary
9 The Voters Weigh In Appendix to Chapter 9: Models of Delegate Share
10 Political Parties Today
Notes
References
Index
REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
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from using this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
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Please have the disability coordinator at your school fill out this form.
The Party Decides: Presidential Nominations Before and After Reform
by Marty Cohen, David Karol, Hans Noel and John Zaller
University of Chicago Press, 2008 Cloth: 978-0-226-11236-7 Paper: 978-0-226-11237-4 eISBN: 978-0-226-11238-1
Throughout the contest for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, politicians and voters alike worried that the outcome might depend on the preferences of unelected superdelegates. This concern threw into relief the prevailing notion that—such unusually competitive cases notwithstanding—people, rather than parties, should and do control presidential nominations. But for the past several decades, The Party Decides shows, unelected insiders in both major parties have effectively selected candidates long before citizens reached the ballot box.
Tracing the evolution of presidential nominations since the 1790s, this volume demonstrates how party insiders have sought since America’s founding to control nominations as a means of getting what they want from government. Contrary to the common view that the party reforms of the 1970s gave voters more power, the authors contend that the most consequential contests remain the candidates’ fights for prominent endorsements and the support of various interest groups and state party leaders. These invisible primaries produce frontrunners long before most voters start paying attention, profoundly influencing final election outcomes and investing parties with far more nominating power than is generally recognized.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Marty Cohen is assistant professor of political science at James Madison University. David Karol is assistant professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley. Hans Noel is assistant professor of government at Georgetown University. John Zaller is professor of political science at the University of California, Los Angeles.
REVIEWS
“This fine book will set a new standard on the topic of U.S. presidential nominations and more generally U.S. political parties. The analysis is innovative, empirically anchored, zestfully presented, and credible. It is a natural for parties courses.”
— David Mayhew, Yale University
“The Party Decides presents a powerful case that political parties, properly conceived, remain the dominant force in the post-reform presidential nominating process. Cohen, Karol, Noel, and Zaller revive and sharpen a long-dormant group-centered theory of parties, use that theory insightfully to reanalyze the historical record, and conduct a creative and rigorous empirical assessment of the invisible primary and its impact on the selection of presidential nominees. This is a scholarly tour de force and a provocative challenge to the candidate-centered reporting and commentary on American politics.”
— Thomas E. Mann, Brookings Institution
"The authors make their cases effectively through the use of a number of insightful analogies and creative use of empirical data. The book is a treasure trove of historical information on nomination battles."
— Choice
"In many ways, [this] is a brilliant book in terms of bringing elites and groups back into the study of political parties and presidential nominations. . . . At its best, Cohen et al.'s new paradigms may still be the best guide to presidential nominations for decades to come."
— Andrew Dowdle, Political Science Quarterly
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
1 The Outrageous Nomination of Hubert Humphrey
2 Whose Parties?
3 The Creation of New Parties
4 Weak Structures, Strong Parties
5 Last Hurrahs of the Old System Appendix to Chapter 5: State Parties in 1952
6 Mastering the Postreform System Appendix to Chapter 6: A Closer Look at the Endorsement Data
7 The Invisible Primary: Theory and Evidence
8 Anatomy of a Conversation Appendix to Chapter 8: Models of the Invisible Primary
9 The Voters Weigh In Appendix to Chapter 9: Models of Delegate Share
10 Political Parties Today
Notes
References
Index
REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
If you are a student who has a disability that prevents you
from using this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
with an electronic file for alternative access.
Please have the disability coordinator at your school fill out this form.
It can take 2-3 weeks for requests to be filled.
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE