ABSTRACT
Political parties are organizations that seek to win political offices and to promote particular viewpoints on political issues. Parties consist of voters who identify with the goals of the group, elected officeholders, and party workers who keep the party operating during periods between elections. , state regulations determine the ways political parties gain access to the political process, how candidates are selected, and whether national party rules take precedence over state and local selection methods. Maintained by federal and state laws, the two-party system of the United States discourages the formation of viable minor parties. The American states determine how political parties select their candidates for public office. Progressive reformers called for opening the major parties' candidate selection process to the voters through primary elections. State legislatures followed the recommendations by enacting legislation to establish primary elections. In the twentieth century, the conduct of primary elections came under the control of state law as well as federal standards.
