Nonpartisan Primary Election Reform: Mitigating Mischief

Over the years, observers of American politics have noted the deleterious effects of party polarization in both the national and state legislatures. Reformers have tried to address this problem by changing primary election laws. A theory underlies these legal changes: the reformers tend to believe that “more open” primary laws will produce more centrist, moderate, or pragmatic candidates. The “top-two” primary, just implemented in California, represents the future of these antiparty efforts...