How the parties took over the primary debates

[Commentary] In December 1987, six Democratic presidential candidates joined six Republican presidential candidates on the stage of the Kennedy Center in Washington (DC) for a primary debate. The Democrats answered some questions from moderator Tom Brokaw, and then Republicans offered their critiques. Then the parties would switch. This was unlike presidential primary debates that occurred before or after. Indeed, most primary debates of the day were precedent-setting.

The rules we are accustomed to today in presidential primary debates are actually very recent inventions. Those rules and customs have developed over the past four decades as parties have slowly asserted their control over the process. We explore this odd history in a paper we're presenting , looking at how this development has affected democracy within the parties.

[Seth Masket is a professor of political science at the University of Denver. Julia Azari is a political science blogger and professor at Marquette University.]