A new era in national party convention decision-making has emerged in the past couple of decades, caused by a decline in the control of state and local leaders over delegates. Therefore it is hypothesized that a more stable factional pattern should emerge in each party, unfettered by considerations of short-term bargaining typical of earlier periods. Factor analysis revealed that an unprecedentedly stable cleavage pattern has indeed prevailed in each party since the early 1960s, and some of the effects on mass perceptions of politics, delegation representativeness, party unity, and the degree of issue orientation in our parties are considered.
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