Presidential Campaigns and Elections in the 21st Century

Order Description Presidential Campaigns and Elections in the 21st Century POLS 329 Prof. Noah Kaplan Paper Assignment #1 Write the essay based upon one of the three options provided below. Option 2 In The Party Decides, Cohen et al. argue that in the post-reform period the party continues to dominate who is nominated to be its candidate via the “invisible primary.” They tell a story in which the acknowledged front runner at the end of the “invisible primary” always wins the party’s nomination. The book was written and published before Obama was elected President. Yet neither Obama in 2008 nor Trump in 2016 were the acknowledged front runners for their respective party’s nomination at the end of the invisible primary. Discuss the extent (if at all) to which the nomination of Obama in 2008 and the likely nomination of Trump in 2016 undermine Cohen et al.’s argument. How might Cohen et al. respond to such a critique? What structural factors may have changed since Cohen et al. wrote The Party Decides? When thinking about structural changes, think about change(s) in the electoral rules, regulatory environment, changes in the economic environment, change(s) in the media environment, change(s) in the political environment etc…. How might such structural changes effect/change Cohn et al.’s argument? You may also wish to consider election specific factors that may not be consistent with the assumptions made.      

Sample Solution