Candidate selection in US politics

What is it about?

Candidate selection in the US is highly decentralized and open compared with many advanced democracies. This paper argues that party organizations, particularly due to election finance requirements, have more control than is sometimes thought but also that the system openness produces the conditions for insurgent movements within political parties

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Why is it important?

While the openness of candidate selection in the US is unusual, it has implications for comparative politics. Decentralization may paradoxically produce parties that are less responsive to voters. The US's openness has given rise to political insurgencies and has lessons for social movement theorists. As politics in the US become more polarized, the parties' role in candidate selection may grow, suggesting that political culture is an important consideration in explaining how candidate selection systems work.