ABSTRACT
There is a systematic way to measure the competitiveness of a nomination race and to measure the extent to which primary voters have meaningful choices. This chapter presents a measure of competition and a measure of "competitively equivalent" candidates to assess in a systematic way, how much choice voters really have in the primaries. The introduction of greater participation in binding primaries and caucuses may or may not have achieved the purpose of handing the control over the nomination to citizens who identify with the major political parties. The chapter discusses the importance of voter empowerment in democracy, particularly in an era of polarized political parties. It analyzes patterns of competition within and across presidential nomination cycles. Focusing on competition within each nomination campaign will enable us to gauge differences in voter choice across states. The chapter concludes with a more detailed analysis of the differences between the 2016 Democratic and Republican presidential primaries.
