Middle Senate years and continued opposition to the Vietnam War During the 1968 Democratic Convention, a motion had been passed to establish a commission to reform the Democratic Party nomination process.White, The Making of the President 1972, pp. 17–20. In 1969 McGovern was named chairman of the Commission on Party Structure and Delegate Selection, also known as the McGovern–Fraser Commission; owing to the influence of former McCarthy and Kennedy supporters on the staff, the commission significantly reduced the role of party officials and insiders in the nomination process.White, The Making of the President 1972, pp. 24–33. The commission's 1970 report, Mandate for Reform, was approved by the Democratic National Committee in 1971. It required that delegates be selected either by a party primary where delegate preferences were indicated on the ballot or by a state convention process where the first stage was open caucuses. It also mandated quotas for proportional black, female, and youth delegate representation. The new rules had an immediate effect; in 1972, a third more primaries were held in the Democratic nomination process than in 1968 and those primaries produced half again as many delegates.White, The Making of the President 1972, p. 71. Over the next few presidential election cycles, this trend towards holding primaries increased in both parties, with eventually over 80 percent of delegates being chosen via primaries; whereas before McGovern–Fraser, two-thirds of all delegates were chosen by state conventions controlled by party elites. Thus the U.S. presidential nominating process has been different ever since the McGovern–Fraser reforms, with scholars and politicians debating whether all the changes are for the better.Reichley, The Life of the Parties, pp. 283, 285–287. At pp. 457, 459.
Middle Senate years and continued opposition to the Vietnam War During the 1968 Democratic Convention a motion had been passed to establish a commission to reform the Democratic Party nomination processWhite The Making of the President 1972 pp 17–20 In 1969 McGovern was named chairman of the Commission on Party Structure and Delegate Selection also known as the McGovern–Fraser Commission; owing to the influence of former McCarthy and Kennedy supporters on the staff the commission significantly reduced the role of party officials and insiders in the nomination processWhite The Making of the President 1972 pp 24–33 The commission's 1970 report Mandate for Reform was approved by the Democratic National Committee in 1971 It required that delegates be selected either by a party primary where delegate preferences were indicated on the ballot or by a state convention process where the first stage was open caucuses It also mandated quotas for proportional black female and youth delegate representation The new rules had an immediate effect; in 1972 a third more primaries were held in the Democratic nomination process than in 1968 and those primaries produced half again as many delegatesWhite The Making of the President 1972 p 71 Over the next few presidential election cycles this trend towards holding primaries increased in both parties with eventually over 80 percent of delegates being chosen via primaries; whereas before McGovern–Fraser two-thirds of all delegates were chosen by state conventions controlled by party elites Thus the US presidential nominating process has been different ever since the McGovern–Fraser reforms with scholars and politicians debating whether all the changes are for the betterReichley The Life of the Parties pp 283 285–287 At pp 457 459