This article describes some the arcane rules used in various states to select delegates through caucuses and other "non-primaries" for the Republican National Convention and Ron Paul's efforts to take advantage of those rules to maximize the number of delegates he will lead to the Convention this summer. The article emphasizes the importance of rules or institutions. In this case, the article illustrates how the Republican Party's nomination process is very much influenced by the rules used in the states to select delegates and the rules governing how those delegates may vote at the Republican national Convention.
Put more generally, the same group of people might end up making very different choices in response to the same question under different rules. This is one of the most basic and important insights of modern political science.
