Reform and Retrenchment

Reviews / Votes

Despite the fact that much of our political leadership today is selected through primaries rather than general elections, we have far too little knowledge about them. Thankfully we now have Rob's Boatright's superb book, which gives a highly readable history and analysis of this uniquely American institution. Not only does this work illustrate the challenges of making democracy better through primary reforms, but he uses the past to help us think clearly about contemporary efforts at reform of all kinds. * Raymond J. La Raja, Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts * Reform and Retrenchment is the most comprehensive and ambitious study of primary election reforms in the 20th century. The book uncovers new insights into the winding paths of primary reforms and provides an essential historical grounding for the growing conversation around primaries. * Danielle Thomsen, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of California, Irvine * Whether primary elections contribute to polarization and extremism, and if so, what changes would mitigate that, has become one of the most significant political reform issues of our era. In this masterful synthesis of political and intellectual history with empirical analysis, Robert Boatright provides crucial perspective on today's debates by chronicling the causes and consequences of prior primary reform efforts throughout the 20th century. * Richard H. Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law, NYU School of Law * In a detailed and systematic analysis that takes into account differences across geography and history, Boatright tests common assumptions about primary reforms. This is a well-written and fascinating book. * Julia Azari, Professor of Political Science, Marquette University * The study is well worth pondering. * Choice *