ABSTRACT
The Georgia special election is but one of many examples of how the U. S. primary process works. The spread of the "direct primary" throughout the states in the early decades of the twentieth century was swift, and primaries were touted by Progressive reformers as a salutary development. Primary elections were championed by Progressive reformers as a means of giving citizens more control over elections, but they do not play a major role in the larger statements about Progressive goals. The study of primary elections was an integral part of early twentieth-century American political science. The increasing ideological distance between the two major parties has fostered a new era of scholarship on primary elections. American political parties have historically had diverse, and at times overlapping, constituencies. Contemporary conservatives often list instances of Progressive reforms that they claim have harmed American politics. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
