Introduction

This part, which includes two chapters, will analyze the political ascent of Italians and Mexicans to the U.S. Congress during the last four decades. Analysts of American politics normally call this “the candidate-centered period” because the institutionalization of primary elections and the concurrent transformation of modern political campaigning seemed to erode the leadership of parties as we know it. Although these changes have been certainly important, they were not the only factors that transformed the world of local and state elections.