Claiming the Mantle How Presidential Nominations Are Won and Lost Before the Votes Are Cast

This book examines the process by which presidential nominees are selected in U.S. , describing the evolution of the presidential nomination system from its original conception of letting the voters decide to its current form in which the race is usually over before the first vote is cast.

Part I: The Rules of the Game 1. The Sound of Bubbles Bursting 2. The Formal Rules—Winning Delegates 3. The Formal Rules—Campaign Finance 4. Claiming the Mantle Part II: Playing the Game 5. The Seven Dwarfs 6. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 7. Clash of the Titans 8. Looking Ahead