Momentum and Presidential Primary Campaigns.

Here, we test how the institutional arrangements in the post-reform era have affected the duration of presidential primary campaigns. Specifically, we examine the effect of two institutional arrangements: delegate allocation rules and front-loading of the primary season. We find that, while front-loading has significantly shortened the primary season, it has not altered the effect of finishing strong in Iowa and New Hampshire. We also find few partisan differences in the length of presidential primary campaigns, however, the Democratic use of proportional delegate allocation appears to have prolonged the process for Democrats, therefore, countering the front-loading to an extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]