Today in the U.S. primary elections are used to select candidates for any type of elections, and conventions governing political parties at all levels. To understand the historical process that led to the party system ruled by the voters, it is useful to focus on the national convention, the presidential primaries and functioning of political parties at national level. At the same time, however, need to be discussed in some detail even the local convention, the local primary and functioning of political parties at local level.
American politics has always been dominated by two major parties, who throughout history have often changed electorate of reference, position and political objectives. However, the minor parties at various times, also called "third parties", gave important contributions, sometimes crucial, to the evolutionary process of American democracy. For this reason it is necessary to include in our analysis, also third parties. The history of American parties is divided into six main sections, called "party systems."
The convention was experienced locally in the 1820s. The transition to the national level was relatively brief. The first national convention was held in 1830. With very few exceptions, the national convention nominated more candidates for the presidency and the vice presidency. The local primary were introduced in 1842. The presidential primaries were introduced several decades later, in 1912. Until 1968 the choice of candidates for president and vice-presidency remained firmly under the control of the convention. Since 1972 the appointment of presidential candidate is determined, in fact, the direct primary election, then by the voters, and the national convention enshrines the outcome of the primaries. The main evolutionary stages of the process of nomination of presidential candidates were: i) the phase of "congressional caucus" ii) the phase of the caucus / convention, or primary Indirect iii) the phase of the primary / caucus / convention; iv) the stage of direct primary election.
the . In the first post-revolutionary phase, from 1796 to 1824, applications were determined by the parties without consulting the people. The presidential candidate of a party he was appointed, by vote of an absolute majority, the congressional caucus , the assembly of the representatives of the ruling party Congress, convened for this purpose. With a system equivalent today in Italy the prime minister candidate of a party, or coalition, would be appointed by an absolute majority, by the assembled deputies and senators of that party, or coalition, and specially convened sufficiently in advance of the elections.
ii . The National Convention began in 1830-31 and opened the door to the nomination of candidates by popular vote. In the phase of the caucus / convention, from 1832 to 1908, the people were interested only in an indirect way, by "mass gatherings," said caucus .
iii . The first presidential election in which the primaries played an important role were those of 1912. The phase of the primary / caucus / convention, from the early twentieth century to 1968, saw the co-existence, sometimes conflicted, primary, direct, indirect primaries, caucuses and conventions. The people were consulted partly directly and partly indirectly. The weight of the direct popular vote was not decisive.
iv . The current phase began recently, between 1969 and 1972, with the introduction of modern primary and the subsequent restructuring of the parties. At this stage, the people are directly consulted and in a decisive way.
The three key dates in the process of evolution are therefore the 1831, with the birth of the National Convention, 1912, with the introduction of presidential primaries, and 1972, with the reforms that led to the open and modern system of parties governed by voters
0 comments:
Post a Comment