Primary Elections. A Study of the History and Tendencies of Primary Election Legislation.

MERRIAM, C. [Charles] Edward (1874-1954):

Published by Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1908., 1908

About this Item

First Edition. xi, 308 pp. Original cloth. Near Fine, in very good+ dust jacket. '[I]mportant and timely' (Charles A. Beard, review for Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 24, No. 2, June, 1909, pp. 316-317). 'This little book is another evidence that the political scientists in our large universities are interesting themselves in the practical questions of government; and none of these questions is more important than the establishment of constitutional government for political parties' (J. H. Reynolds, review for The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 14, No. 6, May, 1909, pp. 843-845). 'Merriam regularly participated in the events of the City Club of Chicago-founded in 1903 as nonpartisan forum for public issues-which afforded him entrée into city politics and introduced him to many of those (within and beyond Chicago) who would figure centrally in his career (Karl 1974, 52-3). He was a frequent speaker at the club, addressing topics such as the 'Municipal Revenue System of Chicago' (on January 6, 1906) and the 'City Charter' (on June 14, 1907; City Club of Chicago, 1903-1909). In 1906, he was commissioned by the club to report on the city s revenue situation (Merriam 1906). This report, along with his short book on Primary Elections (1908), earned Merriam the esteem of progressive reformers in the city. These affiliations facilitated his appointment to the drafting committee of the Chicago Charter Convention (Merriam 1907) and then his election (and reelection) to the city council as alderman from 1909 to 1917. In 1911, he secured the Republican nomination for mayor, but was narrowly defeated in the general election by Carter Harrison (Karl 1974, 61-83). His narrow defeat (in a year that trended Democrat), gained Merriam national attention and helped to earn him a position as a power broker within Illinois politics. Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Robert M. LaFollette regularly courted his support throughout the 1910s' (Michael T. Heaney, 'The Chicago School That Never Was', Political Science and Politics, Vol. 40, No. 4, October, 2007, 753-758).

Seller Inventory # 17049

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Primary Elections. A Study of the History and Tendencies of Primary Election Legislation.
• Publisher: Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1908.
• Publication Date: 1908
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine