Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Power Of The Party: An Assessment Of Political Party Impact On The Nomination Processes For The U.S. House Of Representatives, Cary Gibson

Honors Theses

In 1942, prominent political scientist E.E. Schattschneider said of the importance of the nomination to political parties: "Unless the party makes authoritative and effective nominations, it cannot stay in business...The nature of the nomination procedure determines the nature of the party; he who can make nominations is the owner of the party."l Statements such as this articulate the importance of the nominating power to political parties: the ability to make effective nominations is an integral part of their function in the electoral system. However, throughout this century, American political parties have been witness to a startling decline in their ability …