A rare political event is unfolding. Nearly 30 million Democratic partisans have participated in contests to choose the Democratic Party's presidential nominee; but ultimately, less than 800 party elites known as "superdelegates" can determine the Democratic candidate for president. This conundrum raises a series of interesting questions regarding the role of political party leaders in elections. How do party figures see their roles in the nomination process? Who do they believe they represent? What considerations guide their decisions? What do the millions of partisans who voted in primaries or participated in caucuses think about the notion that party leaders could settle a historic nomination campaign? Do voters believe the process is legitimate and that party leaders are acting in ways that resonate with citizens' attitudes and beliefs?
This project argues that the key to understanding the behavior of political elites lies in exploring their perceptions of their representational roles. By examining the thoughts and impressions of citizens and their representatives, we gain important insights regarding the quality of representation as well as voters' understanding and assessment of the workings and legitimacy of the national nominating system. To understand how superdelegates make their choices, it is necessary to survey this special population. This project will conduct a mixed mode telephone/internet survey. Because the identities of the superdelegates are publicly available, this project can obtain their contact information and will attempt to interview the entire population of 795 superdelegates using telephone and internet interviews. In addition to talking to the superdelegates, the project will interview a random sample of registered voters participating in an ongoing panel survey for the 2008 presidential campaign.
The current nomination campaign provides leverage to examine the classic questions surrounding "mass-elite linkages." Specifically, exploring the nature and quality of representation between elites and citizens has enduring interests to students of and participants in democratic institutions. This project is in a unique position to compare mass and elite perceptions regarding attitudes towards the candidates and evaluations of the conduct and consequences of the nominating campaign. In summary, this study offers an opportunity to explore the nature of representation in a novel setting to accurately assess the attitudes of representatives and constituents and with respect to organizations that play such an important role in determining public policy.
