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 front-runners long before most voters start paying attention, profoundly influencing final election outcomes and investing parties with far more nominating power than is generally recognized.

About the Author
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
"The Party Decides is an important book that will set a new standard for understanding the primary election process. The authors use history, anecdotes, and newspaper stories to great advantage, enriching the impressive collection of data they have compiled to support their argument that the nomination process is dominated by a mix of players, but is mainly based on partisans and policy demanders." - David Brady, Stanford University"



Book Information
ISBN 9780226112374
Author Marty Cohen
Format Paperback
Page Count 416
Imprint University of Chicago Press
Publisher The University of Chicago Press
Weight(grams) 628g
Dimensions(mm) 227mm * 155mm * 24mm