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Read the archive   of Wattenberg's   syndicated column     Direct Democracy or Mob Rule? America’s founding fathers conceived of this nation as a republic, that is, governed by representatives and not directly by citizens, ... more The Atlantic Rift Americans don’t like the word ’empire,’ but no empire in history has been equal to the United States in its ability ... more   Primary Pandemonium main page Primary Pandemonium Aired 9/25/2003 Every four years, Republicans and Democrats each choose one person to run for President of the United States. A series of primaries and caucuses winnows down an often-crowded field of candidates to determine the nominee. It is a chaotic and mystifying process at best. Does the system help pick the best candidate? Do a couple of small states ultimately determine who gets to run for president? Is there a way to reform the primary process?   Read the full transcript   Charles Cook     Editor of the Cook Political Report - a Washington publication read and re-read by political experts   Norman Ornstein     resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, columnist for Roll Call, and co-author of Vital Statistics on Congress. Originally Aired: 9/25/2003     Be sure to also check out: Here are some previous Think Tank programs that may be of interest. Picking A President   aired 1/20/2000 The Candidates’ Think Tanks   aired 11/18/1999 Are Dollars Despoiling Democracy?   aired 9/23/1999 Send us your thoughts Think Tank is made possible by generous support from the Smith Richardson Foundation, the Bernard and Irene Schwartz Foundation, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the John M. Olin Foundation, the Donner Canadian Foundation, the Dodge Jones Foundation, and Pfizer, Inc. ©Copyright Think Tank. All rights reserved.     Web development by Bean Creative.