Primary & Caucus Elections

Primary & Caucus Elections

1. Types of Primary and Caucus

   • Open Primary
     • Any registered voter can participate
     • Encourage participation
       • More people can vote
         • Higher turnout
     • Allows for cross-over voting
       • Registered Democrats may vote in the Republican primary and vice versa
       • E.g Wisconsin 2012 Republican Open Primary, 11% of voters were Democrats
       • This is usually done so an incumbent is more likely to face a weak challenger
     • Examples include Vermont, Alabama and North Carolina
   • Closed Primary
     • Only registered members of the party can participate
     • Less people can participate
       • Find out the opinions within the party
     • There are 12 states which hold strictly closed primaries
       • This includes Florida, New York and Pennsylvania
     • Can lead to the 'radicalisation' of candidates as candidates have to appeal to party members
       • Party members tend to be more ideologically extreme
   • Modified Primaries
     • Where members of the party and independents can vote
     • Prevents cross-over voting
     • Find out the views of those who are most likely to
   • Caucus
     • Series of meetings to select a candidate
     • Held in geographically large areas with small populations
       • Examples include Nevada, Iowa and North Dakota
     • Far less democratic
       • Only a few people participate
     • Favours extreme ideological candidates
       • Libertarian Ron Paul polled 36% in the 2012 Maine Caucus

2. Scheduling of Primaries/Caucuses

   • Iowa holds the first Caucus, and New Hampshire holds the first primary
     • In 2016, the Iowa Caucus is on the 1st of February
     • The New Hampshire primary will be on February 9th
   • GOP have given guidelines onto when states should hold their primaries
     • GOP ruled that Iowa, NH, SC and Nevada have to hold their primaries and caucuses in February
     • States who hold elections between March 1st and March 14th must distribute delegates proportionally
     • Those who break those guidelines will face a drastic cut in delegates at the NNC
   • Frontloading
     • Practice of which states hold their primaries early to gain significance
   • Super Tuesday
     • Where lots of states hold their primaries or caucuses on the same day to gain significance
     • In 2016. 12 states are participating in Super Tuesday including Alabama, Texas and Arkansas

3. Strengths and Weaknesses of Primaries

   • Strengths
     • Increased participation
     • Increased choice of candidates
       • Allows for outsiders to become candidates
         • They would not be considered by party bosses
     • Power of party bosses is removed
     • Provides a gruelling race for a gruelling job
   • Weaknesses
     • Can lead to voter apathy
       • The process is seen as too long
         • People lose interest in the race
     • Voters are unrepresentative
       • Often more ideologically driven
         • So ideological candidates do well
       • Only around 30% of Americans participate in primaries
     • Process is too expensive
       • Increased significance of Super PAC's and Interest Groups
         • These interest groups may want legislation 'favours' if they win the Presidency
     • Process is media-dominated
       • Race may end up focusing on personalities rather than policies
     • Can develop into bitter personal battles
     • Lack of peer review
       • Reinstate party power