Routledge Handbook of Primary Elections

'With partisan polarization rising, political parties beset by factions, and a complete outsider gaining a major-party nomination for president, the workings of primary elections are back in the news – and on research agendas. Boatright has assembled a distinguished set of scholars to take us through the experience of the past, the issues of the present, and the options for the future. The Routledge Handbook of Primary Elections is bound to be an essential guide as we work to understand the way "democracy," in selecting party nominees, ramifies through elections and government.'– John Mark Hansen, University of Chicago

'Primary elections have not received the robust scholarly attention they merit due to their importance in picking political leadership in the US and abroad. The Routledge Handbook of Primary Elections, edited by Robert Boatright, addresses this critical gap. A group of outstanding scholars cover a broad range of topics in a manner that is both lucid for students and insightful for scholars. Boatright’s volume sets the table for scholarship on primaries over the next decade.'- Ray La Raja, Professor of Political Science, U Mass Amherst

'There are few topics in U.S. politics more important to study than the dynamics of primary elections. Yet political scientists have largely dropped the ball in illuminating the dynamics of this unique and critical feature of the American electoral system. That is, until now. With this volume, Robert Boatright, the foremost authority on U.S. primary elections, has assembled an impressive group of scholars to provide a comprehensive treatment of this underexplored terrain of American politics. Any one who cares about the forces shaping the contemporary political environment will want to read this book and will benefit from doing so.'- Nate Persily, James B. McClatchy Professor of Law, Stanford Law School