Understanding the The Road to the Presidency ©2012, TESCCC U.S. Government Unit 5, Lesson 1

The Selection Process - Caucuses Caucuses - meetings of party members to nominate candidates Used in the earliest elections Iowa is traditionally the first state to hold any kind of presidential selection process, and they use the caucus. Caucuses require devoted followers who will show up at a meeting to declare their support. Some states still use the caucus method, but most now use the primary election to nominate candidates. ©2012, TESCCC U.S. Government Unit 5, Lesson 1

The Selection Process: Primaries Reform promoted in late 1800s First held in 1900s, but not widespread until after WWII Now used by majority of the states to allow voters to select their favorite candidate in a party-run election ©2012, TESCCC U.S. Government Unit 5, Lesson 1

Questions to Consider Which is the most “democratic” method to select a presidential candidate? Caucus or primary? Why have some states begun using “frontloading?” (the process of holding the primary or caucus earlier and earlier) What are advantages to a state having their primary early in the primary season? What are the disadvantages? ©2012, TESCCC U.S. Government Unit 5, Lesson 1

Facts and Terms: National Convention Delegates 1. Proportional System - Candidates are given same proportion of state’s delegates as votes received in a primary. 4. Republican candidate needs 1,144 delegates to win nomination in 2012 at the party’s national convention. 2. Winner-Take-All System - Candidate that received the most votes in a primary receives all the state’s delegates. 5. Super Delegates - Party leaders given honorary seats at the nominating convention who are not bound by the primary vote 3. Democratic candidate needs 2,777 delegates to win nomination in 2012 at the party’s national convention. 6. The delegates will also vote on a statement of the party’s stance on the issues, called the platform. ©2012, TESCCC U.S. Government Unit 05, Lesson 01

Election Day – Tuesday after the first Monday in November The president and vice president are not elected by popular vote. Instead, they are elected by presidential electors as specified in Article II of the Constitution. Each state has as many electors as it has representatives and senators in Congress. Texas has 38 electoral votes. Each political party in a state selects a slate of electors to represent its nominee on the ballot. ©2012, TESCCC U.S. Government Unit 5, Lesson 1

The Electoral College When voters go to the polls in November, they are actually voting for the group of electors that they want to cast their state’s votes for president and vice president. The party’s slate of electors that gets the most votes in a state will cast all of the votes for that state. Exceptions are in Maine and Nebraska, who award electoral votes by who wins each congressional district, plus two votes for the statewide winner. ©2012, TESCCC U.S. Government Unit 5, Lesson 1

The Electoral College The total number of electors is 538 – equal to the number of representatives and senators, plus three votes that are given to the District of Columbia. If no candidate for president gets a majority (270) of the votes, the House of Representatives will choose the president. If no candidate for vice president gets a majority of the votes, the Senate will choose the vice president. ©2012, TESCCC U.S. Government Unit 5, Lesson 1

Benefits of the Electoral College The United States is a federated government composed of states and their governments. The Electoral College allows states greater control in the manner presidents are chosen. Nominees have a greater likelihood of campaigning in states with small populations. The Electoral College encourages candidates to act in the interest of all regions of the country, not just the majority of voters.

Criticisms of the Electoral College The nationwide popular vote winner may not win in the Electoral College (Al Gore 2000). Too much focus on large swing states (states not dominated by one party) Discourages voter turnout in states dominated by one party Gives more per capita weight to voters in small states Discourages third parties – if you don’t win a state, you get no votes ©2012, TESCCC U.S. Government Unit 5, Lesson 1

Abolish the Electoral College? A constitutional amendment would be needed to abolish the Electoral College. One such proposal called for awarding the office of president and vice president to the pair who received the most popular votes, providing that pair received at least 40% of the votes. This would avoid a run-off every election since it is rare a pair gets over 50%. If no pair received 40% of the votes, a run-off would be held between the top two pairs. ©2012, TESCCC U.S. Government Unit 5, Lesson 1

Why should we take so long to select the President of the United States? ©2012, TESCCC U.S. Government Unit 5, Lesson 1