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Party Platforms as Political Process

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2013

Ronald W. Walters*
Affiliation:
Howard University

Extract

As a political scientist who has managed issues in presidential campaigns, I have noticed the tensions between theory and practice. This tension was most evident in the Democratic party's decision to devalue its platform in the 1988 presidential elections. The decision revealed a serious misunderstanding of the political function of a platform, and contributed to Dukakis' poor showing in the general elections.

Type
Features
Copyright
Copyright © The American Political Science Association 1990

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References

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