Bulletin n. 1/2008 | ||
May 2008 | ||
Busch Andrew E. |
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Federalism and Front-loading | ||
in Publius: The Journal of Federalism , vol. 38,n. 3, Summer - The State of American Federalism 2007–2008 , 2008 , 538-555 | ||
"Front-loading" primaries and caucuses—the movement of state delegate selection contests to the beginning of the nomination calendar—is problematic for the integrity of the presidential nominating system. Because it results from decentralized decision making by self-interested states, front-loading also poses a problem for federalism. Indeed, most proposed remedies for front-loading would impinge on federalism in some manner. In analyzing those remedies, one must assess their interaction with federalism both procedurally and substantively. For example, a federally imposed national primary would be harmful to federalism on both dimensions; regional primaries negotiated among states would be best for federalism procedurally but are of dubious efficacy; the national parties have an ambiguous relationship to federalism; and a change in federal campaign finance rules would seek to combine a centralized process with a decentralized result. The best solution might be to use available central levers to try to change campaign dynamics and thus the incentives for states to schedule their primaries early. | ||