MOVING TOWARD UNITY - ATTITUDES IN THE NOMINATION AND GENERAL-ELECTION STAGES OF A PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

Conventional wisdom suggests that presidential nomination campaigns ar e inherently divisive and that the intraparty division fostered during the nomination campaign continues into the general election contest D ivision occurs within the party between those preferring a nomination winner, the in-group, and those preferring a nomination loser, the out -group. This study examines in-group/out-group relations during the 19 80 presidential nomination and general election campaigns. The author found clear evidence of intraparty division during the nomination peri od. However during the general election the in-group/out-group relatio nship is ameliorated. The author suggests that the institutional proce ss, moving from a nomination to a general election campaign, helps to reduce factional division among the party's rank-and-file membership.