Alternatives to Election Primaries

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I was told that the United States is the only democratic type country to use election primaries where citizens can run to become a political party's nominee.

In the other countries, I think party insiders decide on the nominee.

Is that true?

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Type: Question • Score: 4 • Views: 435 • Replies: 9

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@gollum,

gollum wrote:

I was told that the United States is the only democratic type country to use election primaries where citizens can run to become a political party's nominee.

In the other countries, I think party insiders decide on the nominee.

Is that true?

I can only make a guess, but I am going to guess that it IS true...that you were told that.

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@Frank Apisa,

You have to be a member of ,or affiliated to, The Labour Party to vote on party leaders and other appointments. MPs are normally chosen locally although there sometimes is a complaint about head office parachuting in high profile candidates.

You have to be a party member or member of an affiliated body like a trade union to vote on all party appointments.

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@izzythepush,

izzythepush-

Thank you.

If I understand correctly:

In the United States in 2016, Republican Party officials did not want Trump as the party's nominee for president but could not stop him;

In the United Kingdom, a person who wishes to run for a seat in Parliament would need the approval of the leaders of the party that he would be on.

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@gollum,

Not if they stand as an independent, then they only need a certain amount of signatures from constituents, which is what everyone has to do.

It’s not the party leaders who decide who becomes the candidate, it’s the local membership.

I can only speak for the Labour Party. I’ve never been a member of any other party.

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@gollum,

gollum wrote:

izzythepush-

Thank you.

If I understand correctly:

In the United States in 2016, Republican Party officials did not want Trump as the party's nominee for president but could not stop him;

In the United Kingdom, a person who wishes to run for a seat in Parliament would need the approval of the leaders of the party that he would be on.

Your assessment of how he became the nominee is correct. They could see how toxic and unprepared he was, but they just couldn’t stop him.
And since then at every possible turn, in every possible way they’ve sold out their ethics and reason to keep winning primaries with MAGA-crazed voters.

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I just read that in France, there are two rounds of ballots for president.

To enter the first round, the person must be endorsed by 500 elected officials.

The second and decisive round is restricted to the two first-round frontrunners.

I have not confirmed it.

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@gollum,

Members of the French National Assembly are elected using a two-round system as well.

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@izzythepush,

It's (more or less) the very same here in Germany.

And the chancellor (head of government) is elected by the parliament ("Bundestag"), while the president (head of state) is elected by an assembly.

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@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler-

I think that the relevant point is whether the person who wishes to be a candidate needs the endorsement of 500 (or another number) of elected officials.

The elected officials (or those of that person's party) might refuse to endorse a person (e.g., Trump) they judge to be harmful to the party or to the country.

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