Author Description
This study examines the candidate choice behavior of party activists in connection with the 1980 Democratic and Republican presidential nominations. Based on questionnaires completed by almost 18,000 activists at 22 state party conventions, the authors examine the impact of demographic representation, interest group mobilization, ideology, and candidate electability on the behavior of a broadly based sample of American party activists.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This study investigates the primary factors influencing the candidate selection behavior of party activists during the 1980 presidential nomination process. Alan I. Abramowitz utilizes a massive dataset derived from questionnaires completed by nearly 18,000 party activists across 22 state conventions. The work constructs a framework to analyze how ideology, demographic representation, and interest group mobilization dictate the strategic choices made by those within the party apparatus.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of the 1980 Democratic and Republican presidential nomination cycles
- Quantitative assessment of activist demographics and ideological leanings
- Examination of the tension between candidate electability and issue-based mobilization
Scope Limits
- The study is geographically and temporally constrained to the 1980 state convention cycle
- It does not account for shifts in party nomination rules that occurred in subsequent decades
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Political scientists frequently cite this work as a foundational empirical study on the role of party activists in American electoral politics. Experts note that the sheer scale of the survey data provides a unique window into the internal dynamics of party decision-making during a pivotal election year.
Page Count:
158
Publication Date:
1984-01-01
Publisher:
Praeger
ISBN-10:
0030005191
ISBN-13:
9780030005190
American Politics