How did the McGovern-Fraser Commission make the delegate selection process of the Democratic Party more representative and open to input from the public?
by requiring delegate selection procedures to be open to all party members
The McGovern-Fraser Commission was established by the Democratic Party in 1968 to reform the delegate selection process for the party’s presidential nomination. Before the commission’s formation, the delegate selection process was largely controlled by party insiders and political bosses, which left it open to corruption and was not very democratic.
The commission’s main aim was to make the delegate selection process more representative and inclusive by opening it up to input from the public. To achieve this, the commission introduced several reforms to the delegate selection process, including:
1. Primaries: The commission recommended that all states hold primaries or caucuses to elect delegates. This meant that party members could have a direct say in who became their party’s nominee, rather than leaving it to the party hierarchy.
2. Proportional representation: The commission also recommended that delegates be awarded proportionally to the number of votes received in each state. This meant that even candidates who did not win a majority of the votes could still receive delegates, making the process more fair and democratic.
3. Open participation: The commission recommended that the delegate selection process be open to all party members, rather than just party bosses and insiders. This meant that anyone who wanted to run as a delegate could do so, as long as they met certain criteria.
4. Gender and diversity requirements: The commission also recommended that each state’s delegation include a certain number of women, minorities, and young people. This helped to ensure that the party’s leadership was more reflective of its base.
Overall, the reforms introduced by the McGovern-Fraser Commission made the delegate selection process of the Democratic Party more representative and democratic. By opening up the process to input from the public and ensuring that the makeup of the party’s leadership was more diverse, the commission helped to lay the groundwork for a more inclusive and participatory political system.
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