Consequences of Party Reform

In this important and provocative book, Nelson W. Polsby argues that many of the most significant problems of American government and politics today are rooted in how we nominate our presidents and prepare them for office. Looking back at the revolutionary reforms undertaken by the Democratic Party after the 1968 convention, Polsby shows how those measures have rippled out into the whole political system. He argues that those reforms--which were meant to broaden democratic participation and unintended consequences, making elections less responsive to majority rule and more susceptible to pressure group influence. Polsby suggests practical ways to improve nominations and elections; he defends America's political parties; and he describes the circumstances that led to the eclipse of party influence in presidential politics.