ABSTRACT
The introduction will summarize the purposes, the theoretical and methodological approaches and the empirical scope of the volume. The main goal of this work is to re-structure the study of most inclusive procedures for the selection of candidates and party leaders and their impact by using a common framework of analysis, by applying and adapting the theoretical models developed for the American literature to new empirical cases and by integrating the analyses of both candidate and leadership selection procedures. This chapter also provides the theoretical and methodological instruments to develop a comparative approach in empirical terms. The chapter then formulates a series of suggestions for applying the original model to a wide set of empirical cases and for focusing the analysis of the consequences of primary elections on political recruitment. The chapter also points to a wide range of empirical data required for empirical analysis, including aggregate and individual level data, party statutes and constitutions, electoral results, and public opinion surveys. In addition, the chapter also provides a clear statement of how the analytical framework can be connected to the set of case studies that constitute the core of the edited book. Finally, the chapter outlines the main expected empirical contributions of the empirical sections. The introduction details which specific dimensions of party leadership or elite recruitment will be covered across the chapters, and whether there is any relevant pattern of change expected to arise from the different case studies.
