History

How do political parties choose their candidates for president? How has the presidential nomination process changed over the years? Before the 1970s, a candidate had to win over party insiders in the so-called “smoke-filled rooms” of party conventions and caucuses to even have a chance of winning a major-party nomination. This old party system began to change during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago when party delegates entered the convention with no clear consensus on who the nominee should be. In this article, we’ll explore the evolution of the presidential nomination process in the United States.

Who was Hubert Humphrey? How did Humphrey secure the Democratic Party nomination for the president without competing in the primaries? Hubert Humphrey served as the 39th vice president of the United States under Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration. In 1968, Hubert Humphrey became a nominee of the Democratic Party, despite him not having completed any primaries. According to political scientists Levitsky and Ziblatt, Hubert Humprey’s nomination is what prompted the call for the reform of the old presidential nomination system. Here’s why Humphrey’s nomination was such a blow to the old party system, according to Levitsky and Ziblatt.

Who is George Wallace? Under what party did Wallace run for president? Former Governor of Alabama George Wallace ran for president in 1968 under the American Independent Party banner. Although George Wallace had little effect on American politics, his 1968 presidential campaign remains a deeply significant event. Read more about the legacy of George Wallace’s presidential campaign below.

What is voter suppression? How do politicians suppress people from exercising their right to vote? Voter suppression in the United States involves any efforts (both legal and illegal) that prevent people from casting their votes. The most effective tactics are gerrymandering (the redrawing of election districts to lock in political advantage for one party) and restricting who is eligible to vote. In this article, we’ll look at a couple of historical examples of voter suppression.