U.S. Presidential Primaries and the Caucus-Convention System

In the past quarter century, presidential nominating contests have become as exciting as the presidential election. The mass media devote more time, space, and staff to cover the presidential primaries and Iowa caucuses than the general election itself. Each week from late February to early June, the TV networks headline these contests, expecially in the challenging party. The stakes are high, for the winner of these contests will invariably be the party nominee. This sourcebook provides the reader with a comprehensive and convenient resource for following and understanding the presidential primary and the three or four-tier caucus-convention system used throughout the 50 states to send delegates to the quadrennial national nominating conventions. Historical perspectives as well as precedents are documented. Statistical tables and a glossary of terms provide helpful tools for augmenting the reader's understanding.

JAMES W. DAVIS is Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington. He has published a number of articles, chapters, and conference papers on presidential primaries and the national nominating conventions. In 1992, he served as a Clinton-Gore presidential elector from the state of Washington in the Electoral College. Previous works include The American Presidency (Praeger, 1995), President as Party Leader (Greenwood, 1992), The National Convention in an Age of Party Reform (Greenwood, 1983), and Presidential Primaries: Road to the White House, Second Edition (Greenwood, 1980).