Cutoffs and Thresholds in the Democratic Primaries

The 2008 Democratic Primary season was one of the most riveting in recent history in part because of the lengthy contest between New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Of the eight candidates who mounted national campaigns, only 3 received delegates during the primary season, and by "Super Tuesday," February 5, 2008 (which for 2008 was dubbed "Super Duper Tuesday" because 24 states held primaries or caucuses), all but the top 2 candidates had been eliminated. What caused this rapid narrowing of the field? The answer lies in part with the apportionment process used to assign delegates to presidential candidates.