Report Outline
New Effort to Control Congressional Primaries
Presidential Intervention in Party Primaries
State Regulation of Primary Elections
Proposals for Federal Control of Primaries
New Effort to Control Congressional Primaries
Legislation to impose federal control over the conduct of congressional primary elections in the states will be recommended to the next Congress by the special Senate Committee on Campaign Expenditures. This was made known by Senator Sheppard (D., Tex.), chairman, on August 8, after the committee's investigation of 1938 Democratic primary contests in Kentucky, Tennessee, and a number of other states had brought to light evidence of “gutter politics” and “scandal of the worst sort.”
Although Sheppard expressed belief that a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress to prescribe the manner of conducting primary elections and conventions would be the most effective method of imposing federal control, he said the committee probably would recommend legislation to amend the Corrupt Practices Act of 1925, the provisions of which now apply only to general elections. A constitutional amendment proposed by Congress in 1939 would stand little chance of adoption by three-fourths of the states in time to allow enactment of legislation that would apply to 1940 primary campaigns.
Revelation of Corrupt Practices in 1938 Primaries
Preliminary reports of the Senate Campaign Expenditures Committee on the conduct of Democratic primary contests in Tennessee and Kentucky constitute the most scathing indictment of election methods by a congressional committee since 1926, when William S. Vare and Frank L. Smith were found guilty of election frauds and denied seats in the Senate. After receiving reports from special investigators sent to Tennessee, the committee said, July 27, that “the evidence already before it with respect to assessments of federal employees by one group participating in the Democratic primary contest for United States Senator and of state employees by the other group, points sharply toward an election contest in the United States Senate regardless of which group' candidate triumphs.” |
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Presidential Candidates and Campaigns |
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Jan. 15, 2021 |
The Biden Presidency  |
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Jan. 31, 2020 |
Presidential Primaries |
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Nov. 16, 2018 |
The Presidency |
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Jan. 06, 2017 |
Trump Presidency |
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Mar. 06, 2015 |
Presidential Power |
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Feb. 03, 2012 |
Presidential Election |
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Jan. 30, 2009 |
The Obama Presidency |
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Aug. 08, 2008 |
Political Conventions |
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Jul. 18, 2008 |
Race and Politics |
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Apr. 20, 2007 |
Electing the President |
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Dec. 30, 1988 |
Promises vs. Problems |
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Jul. 10, 1987 |
Presidential Nomination Process |
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Feb. 03, 1984 |
Choosing Presidential Nominees |
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Jun. 06, 1980 |
Choosing Presidential Candidates |
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Apr. 09, 1976 |
Presidential Campaign Coverage |
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Feb. 23, 1972 |
Political Conventions |
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May 27, 1964 |
Foreign Policy Issues in Election Campaigns |
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Sep. 21, 1960 |
Voting in 1960 |
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Jan. 06, 1960 |
Presidential Primaries, 1960 |
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Jan. 04, 1956 |
Campaign Smearing |
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Nov. 30, 1955 |
Presidential Possibilities, 1956 |
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May 09, 1952 |
Open Conventions |
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Jan. 16, 1952 |
Presidential Primaries, 1952 |
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Oct. 12, 1949 |
Modernization of the Presidential Election |
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Jan. 14, 1948 |
Presidential Primaries |
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May 01, 1944 |
Foreign Policy in National Elections |
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Jan. 01, 1944 |
Choice of Candidates for the Presidency |
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Apr. 08, 1940 |
Republican Candidates for the Presidency, 1940 |
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Apr. 01, 1940 |
Democratic Candidates for the Presidency, 1940 |
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Jun. 19, 1939 |
Selection of Nominees for the Presidency |
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Aug. 19, 1938 |
Nomination by Primary |
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Mar. 11, 1936 |
Voting in Presidential Elections |
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Feb. 18, 1936 |
Presidential Candidates, 1936 |
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Mar. 03, 1932 |
Decline of the Presidential Primary |
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Aug. 25, 1931 |
Presidential Candidates, 1932 |
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May 05, 1928 |
National Nominating Conventions |
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Sep. 03, 1927 |
Presidential Candidates—1928 |
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Jun. 14, 1927 |
Patronage Influence in Nominating Conventions |
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Sep. 11, 1926 |
The Future of the Direct Primary |
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Jul. 02, 1924 |
Proposed Reforms of Presidential Nominating Methods |
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Jun. 04, 1924 |
The Machinery of the Political Conventions |
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Mar. 15, 1924 |
Presidential Candidates and the Issues |
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Sep. 05, 1923 |
The Passing of the Second Term |
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