Abstract
Bitecofer shows how the institutional structures of the two party’s nominating systems affected the outcome of the 2016 presidential primaries. Despite a full-frontal assault, Republican Party elites had limited influence on the party’s nomination process. Even with the vast majority of Republican Party insiders lined up against him, they were unable to derail the Trump Train because of their limited influence in the nomination process. In the Republican nominating system, elite endorsements are merely symbolic, and they do not carry substantive weight. Unlike the Democrat’s system which provides party insiders a tool to exert direct influence in the party’s nomination process via super delegates, the Republican rules left the party vulnerable to a hostile takeover.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Cohen, Marty. The Party Decides: Presidential Nominations Before and After Reform. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2008.
Haynes, Audrey A., Paul-Henri Gurian, Michael H. Crespin, and Christopher Zorn. “The Calculus of Concession: Media Coverage and the Dynamics of Winnowing in Presidential Nominations.” American Politics Research 32, no. 3 (2004): 310–37. doi:10.1177/1532673x03260353.
Kamarck, Elaine Ciulla. Primary Politics: How Presidential Candidates have Shaped the Modern Nominating System. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 2009.
Polsby, Nelson W, Aaron B Wildavsky, Steven E Schier, and David A. Hopkins. Presidential Elections. 1st ed. Lanham, MD.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016.
Wayne, Stephen J. The Road to the White House 2016. 10th ed. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2016.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bitecofer, R. (2018). The Party Decides?. In: The Unprecedented 2016 Presidential Election . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61976-7_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61976-7_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-61975-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-61976-7
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)