Sinposis

CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARIES ARE INCREASINGLY BEING BLAMED FOR POLARIZATION AND GRIDLOCK IN CONGRESS. MOST AMERICAN STATES ADOPTED CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARIES DURING THE FIRST DECADES OF THE 20TH CENTURY AS A MEANS OF BREAKING THE HOLD OF POLITICAL "BOSSES" ON THE NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES. YET NOW, MANY CONTEND THAT PRIMARIES HAVE BECOME A MEANS BY WHICH THE MOST DEDICATED PARTY ACTIVISTS CHOOSE CANDIDATES UNREPRESENTATIVE OF THE ELECTORATE, AND SO GENERAL ELECTION VOTERS ARE FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO IDEOLOGICALLY EXTREME CANDIDATES. CONSEQUENTLY, THERE HAVE BEEN RECENT INSTANCES IN BOTH PARTIES WHERE NOMINEES WERE CHOSEN WHO WERE CLEARLY NOT PREFERRED BY PARTY LEADERS, AND WHO ARGUABLY LOST ELECTIONS THAT THEIR PARTIES SHOULD HAVE WON.