To what extent do state laws shape primary outcomes? Are some states more influential in determining party nominees because of their electoral laws?

Electoral rules within presidential primary elections are dictated by state laws. For instance, states decide whether to hold a primary election or a caucus, states decide the date of this event, and states decide who can vote/caucus in each race (e.g., closed primaries, top-two primaries, etc). Below are some illustrative resources.http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/primary-types.aspx