The Relevance of the American Experience of Primary Elections when Analysing their Use in Europe: Some Preliminary Considerations

The Relevance of the American Experience of Primary Elections when Analysing their Use in Europe: Some Preliminary Considerations 1. The Dimensions of Primary Politics Who can vote in a primary? Who is eligible to be a candidate in a primary? Who runs the primary ballot? When is the primary ballot held? Which type of candidates or party officers are subject to primary rules? What role is played by parties in “filtering” their potential nominees? 2. The Rationale for Introducing a Primary System Chaos and disruptive internal division Organizational sclerosis Lack of legitimacy for the party among a wider public Lack of publicity for the party’s activities 3. The Consequences of Introducing Primaries The rise of candidate-centred and personalized politics Reduced party influence over its internal affairs Increased Factionalism in a Party 4. Concluding Remarks