When Americans cast their 2016 presidential ballots, the collective emotion could be summarized as: “How did we get this dismal choice?” But in a new paper, Brennan Center fellow, Roll Call columnist, and Yale lecturer in political science Walter Shapiro argues that 2020 will be far too late to rethink the nomination process – and there are a series of practical and effective reforms that could be put in place now to create a more representative system that limits the chances of unpopular or controversial candidates. Advance Constitutional Change Show / hideĪlthough the 2016 presidential primaries garnered profound dissatisfaction with the nomination process, leading to widespread accusations of unfairness within both parties, most voters will forget our current system’s issues until the 2020 election.
