Shigeo Hirano is an associate professor in the Political Science Department at Columbia University, New York. He has published in the leading political science journals. He was a visiting scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation, the Yale University Center for the Study of American Politics, and the Princeton University Center for the Study of Democratic Politics. James M. Snyder, Jr is Leroy B. Williams Professor of History and Political Science in the Government Department at Harvard University, Massachusetts, a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has published more than 100 scholarly articles, many appearing in the leading political science and economics journals.
'This is a wonderful, definitive study of American party primaries at the state and district level, going back a century. All the usual wrinkles are convincingly addressed - origins, history, competition, turnout, factions, candidate quality, polarization, reform options, and more. For all its messiness, the authors conclude, the system seems to work reasonably well.' David R. Mayhew, Sterling Professor of Political Science Emeritus, Yale University, Connecticut 'Hirano and Snyder's Primary Elections in the United States presents the most comprehensive, theoretically informed, and empirically rich analysis of the origins and consequences of primary elections yet attempted. It is a fundamental contribution to the literature on American party politics and will be the go-to source for anyone interested in learning how primaries have affected representation in the US.' Gary Jacobson, University of California, San Diego 'This is a wonderful, definitive study of American party primaries at the state and district level, going back a century. All the usual wrinkles are convincingly addressed - origins, history, competition, turnout, factions, candidate quality, polarization, reform options, and more. For all its messiness, the authors conclude, the system seems to work reasonably well.' David R. Mayhew, Sterling Professor of Political Science Emeritus, Yale University, Connecticut 'Hirano and Snyder's Primary Elections in the United States presents the most comprehensive, theoretically informed, and empirically rich analysis of the origins and consequences of primary elections yet attempted. It is a fundamental contribution to the literature on American party politics and will be the go-to source for anyone interested in learning how primaries have affected representation in the US.' Gary Jacobson, University of California, San Diego 'Journalists as well as scholars will appreciate this thorough treatment of the history and impact of primaries.' Jim Twombly, Choice