The Best Candidate: Presidential Nomination in Polarized Times

Description

The way American citizens elect a president in November is enshrined in the Constitution and has remained unchanged for two hundred years. By contrast, the rules by which American political parties nominate their presidential candidates have evolved dramatically over time. In recent years, these byzantine rules have allowed a number of unexpected candidates to win their party's presidential nomination. In The Best Candidate, a roster of leading election law scholars from across the political spectrum - true-blue Democrats, die-hard Republicans, and everyone in between - illuminate the law behind the modern presidential nomination process and offer ideas for how it can be improved. This book offers a blueprint for how American voters and their parties could nominate the best candidate for the presidency, and it should be read by anyone who cares about the occupant of the Oval Office.

Eugene D. Mazo is Visiting Associate Professor of Law at Rutgers University and a nationally recognized scholar of election law. He is the co-editor of several books, including Democracy by the People: Reforming Campaign Finance in America (2018) and Election Law Stories (2016). He is the chair of the Section on Election Law at the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), where he also serves on the executive committee of the Section on Constitutional Law. A graduate of Columbia College, Professor Mazo received his master's degree from Harvard University, a doctorate in politics from Oxford University, and his J.D. from Stanford Law School. Michael R. Dimino is Professor of Law at the Widener University Commonwealth School of Law, where he also specializes in election law. He is the co-author of a major casebook in the field, Voting Rights and Election Law (2015), and of a leading treatise, Understanding Election Law and Voting Rights (2016). In 2011 and 2017, Widener University awarded Dimino its Douglas E. Ray Award for Excellence in Faculty Scholarship. A former Fulbright Scholar, Professor Dimino is a member of the American Law Institute. He received his B.A. from the State University of New York at Buffalo and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

'Essential reading for all who strive to understand the presidential nomination process.' Guy-Uriel E. Charles, Edward and Ellen Schwarzman Professor of Law, Duke Law School 'A definitive collection on a topic of surpassing importance.' Pamela S. Karlan, Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law, Stanford Law School 'Here, finally, is a book about the law that shapes the road to the White House.' Nicholas O. Stephanopoulos, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School 'Brilliant and wide-ranging, this work is a must read.' Franita Tolson, Professor of Law and Vice Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs, University of Southern California Gould School of Law