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CLOSED PRIMARY, EXPOSED PREFERENCES: IDAHO’S PRIMARY SYSTEM AND THE BUREAUCRATIC DILEMMA by Matthew Ryan May A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy and Administration Boise State University December 2016 © 2016 Matthew Ryan May ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE COLLEGE DEFENSE COMMITTEE AND FINAL READING APPROVALS of the dissertation submitted by Matthew Ryan May Dissertation Title: Closed Primary, Exposed Preferences: Idaho’s Primary System and the Bureaucratic Dilemma Date of Final Oral Examination: 27 October 2016 The following individuals read and discussed the dissertation submitted by student Matthew Ryan May, and they evaluated his presentation and response to questions during the final oral examination. They found that the student passed the final oral examination. Gary F. Moncrief, Ph.D. Chair, Supervisory Committee Leslie Alm, Ph.D. Member, Supervisory Committee Gregory Hill, Ph.D. Member, Supervisory Committee The final reading approval of the dissertation was granted by Gary F. Moncrief, Ph.D., Chair of the Supervisory Committee. The dissertation was approved by the Graduate College. DEDICATION For my family—my mother, Mary, my father, Randy, and my sister, Molly. They have been my rocks and the constants upon whom I can always rely. I am forever blessed to have them in my life. Love you all. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Despite many hours spent writing in solitude, the road to a dissertation is not a lonely one. I have been fortunate enough to be helped along the way by many individuals to whom I am indebted and want to formally acknowledge. First and foremost, Idaho’s former Secretary of State, Ben Ysursa, was kind enough to meet with me, listen to my research, and offer his insight. As someone whose service administering elections in Idaho extended into multiple decades, Secretary Ysursa’s perspective was invaluable in contextualizing Idaho’s electoral history and focusing my research. I cannot express my gratitude enough. Former State Representative Wendy Jaquet was instrumental in facilitating this meeting and always provides her own valuable insight, for which she has my heartfelt thanks. I would like to thank Dr. Ken Meier, whose feedback in a brief meeting made completing this dissertation a far more manageable task, and Martin Peterson, whose comments on an early draft were appreciated. When you are focused on the data and what you think a dissertation should be, it is easy to lose sight of the larger picture. Bryon Welch is a fellow doctoral student who has shown keen interest in my research and been supportive since our first class together. As an Idaho State employee, he provided a valuable perspective in the formative period of my research and helped point me in the right direction on numerous occasions. He was also kind enough to pre- test the bureaucratic survey discussed in Chapter 4, a process that wound up changing the course of this dissertation for the better. Bryon has my sincere thanks. v Former Speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives, Bruce Newcomb, provided insightful feedback and helped facilitate introductions with the directors of the state agencies that would ultimately be the subject of my bureaucratic survey. There is no doubt that, without him, my research efforts would have been far more difficult and this dissertation would look very different. I cannot thank the Speaker enough for his efforts. I would also like to thank the executive teams at the state agencies (and branch of government) that agreed to allow their agencies to participate in my survey. They not only helped facilitate its distribution, they took the time to meet with me and provide comments that ultimately made the survey stronger. Thank you to Director John Tippets and Jess Byrne at the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality; Director Celia Gould, Pamela Juker, and Chanel Tewalt at the Idaho State Department of Agriculture; Director Brian Ness and Mollie McCarty at the Idaho Transportation Department; and Interim Administrative Director Justice Linda Copple Trout, Taunya Jones, and Suzanne Guinard at the Idaho Supreme Court/Judicial Branch. Thank you, as well, to all of the employees at these agencies who participated in the survey, thereby giving me data to analyze. Since the survey was anonymous, I do not know who you are, but I am forever grateful. There are countless faculty members at Boise State University who have contributed to this dissertation and my continuing education. While I cannot list them all, I am indebted to each and every one of them, especially those that allowed me to apply assignments in their courses towards the study of primary systems—not always an easy fit, but which proved invaluable in shaping this dissertation. Thank you all. A few deserve special recognition. Dr. Julie VanDusky-Allen was a valuable source of methodological expertise, especially on logistic regression, and was always willing to vi help; Dr. Stephanie Witt has long been supportive of my studies and was a ready source of helpful advice as I worked on this dissertation; and Dr. Elizabeth Fredericksen was the first instructor to tell me (as an undergraduate) that I would go on to earn a Ph.D.— somehow, she knew before I did. I hope I lived up to her expectations. My graduate studies were made better from their guidance and I am sincerely thankful. For their service on my supervisory committee, not to mention years of instruction, I wish to especially thank both Dr. Les Alm and Dr. Greg Hill. This dissertation would not be half of what it is without their guidance and support. I consider Dr. Alm to be the authority on research methods (even if modesty dictates he protest) and am grateful for his advice over the years. He pushed me to think about my dissertation methodologically early on, which made the eventual task of completing it far less daunting. For his willingness to dive in and help, even from another state, I am immensely grateful. The subject of this dissertation (not to mention its title) grew out of an assignment for Dr. Greg Hill, as I struggled to find a way to tie in the study of primary systems with public administration literature. It was his advice that first led me to what I have termed the “bureaucratic dilemma.” I was fascinated by the question and have never looked back. For this and his continued support, he has my thanks and appreciation. Throughout this entire process, Dr. Gary Moncrief has been my advisor and the one shepherding me. Of all the individuals at Boise State, it is he for whom I am most grateful. The knowledge he has imparted is beyond measure. As a scholar, I consider him a role model and someone whose standards I will forever endeavor to meet. I am grateful for his mentorship, his expertise, and his faith in me. Through writer’s block, numerous vii drafts (of varying quality), and many meetings, he has kept me focused on not just completing this dissertation, but in ensuring that it meets the highest standards. If I had my pick of any scholar in the world, there is no one else I would have rather had guiding me than Dr. Moncrief and I consider myself fortunate to be his student. Thank you. Last, but certainly not least, I wish to thank my family. Though this dissertation is dedicated to them, no amount of words can ever be enough. From the outset they have believed in me, supported me, and given me the strength to succeed. My grandfather, Peter, wanted nothing more than for his grandchildren to get a college education and succeed in life. I have no doubt he would have felt pride beyond measure to know one had earned a doctorate. You are missed, Grandpa. My sister, Molly, has long been one of my biggest cheerleaders. She believes there is nothing I cannot accomplish and was the one who first handed me information on this program, years ago, and declared, “You can do this.” Her faith in me never wavered and means more to me than she knows. Thanks for everything you do, Sis. Everything that I have accomplished, I owe to my parents—my mother, Mary, and my father, Randy—who have loved and supported me from the beginning. My father always stressed the lesson that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing right. That is a principle I live by. Miss you, Dad. While my parents’ faith in me is unmatched and has long been a source of strength, my mother, especially, has been my biggest booster and deserves much of the credit for what I have accomplished. I owe her everything. No words can adequately convey how important she is to me—she has been my rock, someone I can always rely on, and the one who always pushed me to succeed and never once stopped believing in viii me. Without her love, guidance, and support, I could not have accomplished half of what I have. In addition to being the best mother in the world, she is also an inspiration who has showed me what real strength is and has taught me how to meet life’s challenges head on. She is the first of my teachers, my role model, my best friend, my hero, and I am proud to be her son. This is for you most of all, Mom, and I hope I have made you proud. Love you. ix AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF AUTHOR Matthew Ryan May graduated summa cum laude from Boise State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with emphases in American Government and Public Policy and International Relations, as well as a minor in History.

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