It’s been a decades since the presidential nominee from either party was in question, or even challenged, at the national nominating conventions, so why do we still have them? Costas Panagopoulos, chair of the political science department at Northeastern University, says conventions have largely become orchestrated pep rallies that are more about boosting enthusiasm for the candidate than picking one. Conventions have morphed to reflect changes in society’s expectations, says Marvin Overby, director of the school of public affairs at Penn State, Harrisburg. PBS NewsHour’s William Brangham reports on why conventions still matter.

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