Primary Rules, Political Power, and Social Change
- 1 March 1976
- journal article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in American Political Science Review
- Vol. 70 (1) , 25-40
- https://doi.org/10.2307/1960321
Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between the kinds of delegate allocation rules used in Democratic presidential primaries (Winner-Take-All, Districted, and Proportional) and the power of various states within the national Democratic party. It demonstrates that these rules are often, in the short run, more important than a state's voters in determining the fate of particular candidates. It shows, in the middle run, that different types of states are clearly favored by different sets of primary regulations. It closes with some speculation about the long-run impact of these tendencies.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- A Theory of Critical ElectionsThe Journal of Politics, 1955