McGovern – Fraser Commission , formally known as Commission on Party Structure and Delegate Selection , was a commission created by the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) in response to the tumultuous 1968 Democratic National Convention . It was composed of 28 members , selected by DNC chairman Senator Fred R. Harris in 1969 to rewrite the Democratic Party 's rules regarding the selection of national convention delegates . Senator George McGovern and later Representative Donald M. Fraser led the commission , which is how it received its name . McGovern , who resigned from the commission in 1971 in order to run for president , won the first nomination decided under the new rules in 1972 , but lost the general election to Richard Nixon
1968 Democratic National Convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
McGovern–Fraser Commission