In the 20th century the U.S. ended the practice of party bosses anointing candidates and expanded primaries. The reform meant to return power to voters, but in low-turnout primaries the voices of zealous bases are easily over-represented.

As a result, harder-edged, sharply defined candidates increasingly clear intra-party primaries—the paradox that reform instead fueled political polarization.

Experts say primaries alone cannot filter out extreme candidates and that more fundamental reforms such as runoff voting or greater proportionality are needed, the problem being that parties themselves are lukewarm on reform.

The debate is not America's alone. How to reconcile party democracy with direct public participation is a concern many countries share.

Sinophone Bridge Times conveys this as a question of institutional design rather than taking a partisan side—an example of how the method of nomination reshapes the quality of politics.