606 pages Russell Sage Foundation  (New York) Publication Date: June 1976 Hardcover ISBN: 087154475X

Professor Kirkpatrick and her colleagues studied the delegates to the 1972 political conventions and found that the McGovern rules for the national Democratic Convention were an early manifestation of and response to a growing trend on the American political scene, precipitating significant changes in political participation. The study examines the "new breed" of participants in presidential selection, giving special attention to the increased activity on the part of women. The book is significant not only as a systematic and detailed survey of the 1972 convention delegates and as an insightful analysis of the 1972 presidential selection process, but also as a solid framework within which to examine presidential selection in the election years to come.

Both the Twentieth Century Fund and the Russell Sage Foundation consider this study a notable contribution to the understanding of the American political process. They are grateful to Professor Kirkpatrick and her colleagues for the meticulous research and analytical flair that underlie this important and standard-setting work.

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick is a senior fellow at AEI.