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I have an essay in the latest issue of Current, talking about the role of contested conventions in national politics. For almost 150 years, this was the norm rather than the exception; the last big fight was Ronald Reagan’s attempt to seize the nomination from Gerald Ford in 1976. The primary system, which solidified under Jimmy Carter, has prevailed since. It may be time for a change, because like so many reforms in the name of democracy, this one may have run its course—the system seems to have become dysfunctional in recent elections. We’ll see if we get one.