Party Transformation in Congressional Primaries
Faction and Ideology in the Twenty-First Century

This groundbreaking book examines the new dynamics of primary competition and their impact on party transformation in Congress.

Mike Cowburn (Author)

9781009536509, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 14 November 2024

266 pages
23.5 x 16.1 x 2 cm, 0.52 kg

'Recommended.' J. Heyrman, Choice

The process through which candidates run for Congress has fundamentally changed in the twenty-first century. These new dynamics of primary competition have contributed to party transformation in Congress. Though many believe that primaries contribute to polarization, this book shows that primary voters do not systematically prefer non-centrist candidates. Instead, primaries contribute to party change by incentivizing candidates to adapt their positions between and within election cycles. Chapters identify influential groups in party networks and candidate misperceptions about primary voter preferences as key drivers of party transformation. These findings help readers to challenge common beliefs about the role of primary voters, understand the institutions, processes, and actors responsible for increasing partisan conflict on Capitol Hill, and reassess the relationship between intra-party factionalism and congressional polarization in the modern era. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the inner workings of American politics and the forces shaping our democracy today.

1. Introduction
Part I. Primary Transformation: 2. Ideological & Factional Primaries: The New Dynamics of Congressional Nominations
3. Mechanisms: Why Have Primaries Changed?
Part II. Party Transformation: 4. A Most-Likely Case: Factional Primaries in the Tea Party Era
5. Selective Effect: Do Non-Centrist Candidates Perform Better in Primaries?
6. Between-Election Adaptative Effect: How Do Incumbents Respond?
7. Within-Election Adaptative Effect: Do Primaries Induce Artificial Positioning?
8. Conclusion: Primaries & Party Transformation.

Subject Areas: Constitution: government & the state [JPHC]