Do Open Primaries Improve Representation?: An Experimental Test of California's 2012 Top-Two Primary

• Autores: Douglas J. Ahler, Jack Citrin, Gabriel S. Lenz
• Localización: Legislative studies quarterly, ISSN 0362-9805, Vol. 41, N. 2, 2016, págs. 237-268
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • To improve representation and alleviate polarization among US lawmakers, many have promoted open primaries—allowing voters to choose candidates from any party—but the evidence that this reform works is mixed. To determine whether open primaries lead voters to choose ideologically proximate candidates, we conducted a statewide experiment just before California's 2012 primaries, the first conducted under a new top-two format. We find that voters failed to distinguish moderate and extreme candidates. As a consequence, voters actually chose more ideologically distant candidates on the new ballot, and the reform failed to improve the fortunes of moderate congressional and state senate candidates.