Primary elections are often criticized for distorting representation by letting unrepresentative actors nominate extremists. Advocates push reforms to broaden participation but evidence shows variable effects.
New research reveals that when primary rules change, reducing one influence path, aggrieved political actors simply move their efforts elsewhere — like increasing campaign contributions. Using a difference-in-differences design across American states, this study finds:
- Changing primary rules boosts both turnout and individual campaign contributions per cycle.
- Nonpartisan primaries increase average contributions by about 9%.
- Partisan reforms lead to roughly a 21% jump in contributions.
These findings suggest political influence shifts rather than diminishes when institutional changes occur.
