The problem and the approach -- Who runs for the presidency and why --The institutional context and campaign resources -- The citizens' participation and choices in the nomination campaigns -- Some dynamics of campaigns -- Where candidates compete -- Competition over policy -- Conclusion and implications
Summary
Campaigns to win the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations are longer, more complex, and more confusing to the observer than the general election itself. The maze of delegate-selection procedures includes state primaries and caucuses as well as the traditional ""smoke-filled room."" Complicated federal election laws govern campaign financing. Sometimes many candidates enter and drop out of the race, while sometimes a stable two-way contest occurs: the 1976 nomination campaigns of Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford exemplified each extreme. Is it possible to propose general princ
