THE CROSSWINDS OF CHANGE - SOURCES OF CHANGE IN THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES

This paper disaggregates change among Democratic and Republican elites in the 1980s. Using data about the views of delegates to the 1980, 19 84 and 1988 national party conventions, I examine the relative contrib utions of conversion and replacement coupled with the preference for c andidates among parry activists. The analysis of the effects of prefer ences for candidates and the ideological positions of the delegates re vealed that regardless of whether the activists are veterans or newcom ers, support for particular candidates plays an important role in the shaping of the parties' aggregate ideological orientation.