Anti-partism and party control of political reform in the United States: The case of the Australian Ballot

This article examines critically an explanation, first propounded by Austin Ranney, as to the causes of party reform in the United Stares. Ranney argu ed that there is an ambivalent attitude to parties in the United States; wh ile there is evidence of popular support for parties, the political culture is also infused by anti-party values. Periodically this has facilitated th e enactment of legislation, promoted by anti-party reformers, constraining parties. Focusing on the Australian Ballot, the article argues that its rap id adoption in the United States resulted from its seeming to solve problem s facing party elites in the 1880s - problems that arose from the erosion o f a face-to-face society. Despite opposition from anti-party reformers, par ties in most states legislated for types of ballot that preserved party con trol of the electorate. Moreover, during the Progressive era the parties ge nerally continued to preserve a type of ballot that favoured them. The abil ity of parties to defend their interests against anti-party reformers was p ossible when it was clear where those interests lay. With other reforms, in cluding the direct primary, this was much less evident, and it was then far more difficult for the parties to defend themselves.