Nonpartisan Primary Election Reform - Mitigating Mischief

Examines California's first use of the 'top-two' primary system in 2012 from a variety of perspectives, using several different methodologies.

List of contents

1. A problem posed in Tampa; 2. Primary expectations; 3. The year and the proposition; 4. What happened in 2012?: legislative elections; 5. Primary elections and voter participation; 6. The voter's view; 7. Abandonment of weak parties; 8. Voter expectations for California's top-two primary; 9. Voting rights, representation, and the top-two primary; 10. Beyond the spatial model; 11. Conclusion.

About the author

R. Michael Alvarez is a world-renowned expert in the study of electoral behavior and election administration, as well as political methodology and survey research. In addition to publishing scores of articles in academic journals, he recently published Evaluating Elections: A Handbook of Methods and Standards (Cambridge, 2012). A Fellow of the Society for Political Methodology, he currently co-edits the Society's journal, Political Analysis.J. Andrew Sinclair completed his PhD at the California Institute of Technology in 2013 and wrote his dissertation on American primary elections. His academic research focuses on voter behavior, political institutions, and democratic accountability.

Summary

Over the years, observers of American politics have noted the deleterious effects of party polarization in both the national and state legislatures. Reformers tend to believe that 'more open' primary laws will produce more centrist, moderate, or pragmatic candidates. Nonpartisan Primary Election Reform examines California's first use of the top-two primary system in 2012.

Product details

• Authors: Michael Alvarez, R. Michael Alvarez, R. Michael (California Institute of Techn Alvarez, R. Michael Sinclair Alvarez, Alvarez R. Michael, Andrew Sinclair, J. Andrew Sinclair, Sinclair J. Andrew
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 16.04.2015
• EAN: 9781107068834
• ISBN: 978-1-107-06883-4
• No. of pages: 224
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; USA, POLITICAL SCIENCE / American Government / General, Politics & government, Public Administration, United States of America, USA, Elections & referenda, Elections and referenda, Election law