Understanding the The Road to the Presidency

Put the following steps in the “Road to the Presidency” in sequential order National Conventions Debates Inauguration Electoral College Vote Candidate’s Announcement Primaries or Caucuses Election Day

The Steps to the Presidency Candidates announce intention to run (sometimes a year or so before election year) Debates of the candidates Primaries or Caucuses are held-January to June National Conventions-Summer Debates of the final major party candidates-Fall Election Day-November 4, 2008 Electoral College vote-December 15, 2008 Inauguration Day-January 20, 2009

1st Method: Caucuses--private meetings of party leaders to chose candidates Used in the earliest elections Some states such as Iowa still use a caucus 2nd Method: Nominating Conventions-- meeting of the party to choose candidates. Delegates to the convention choose candidate Democrats--August 25-28, 2008, in Denver Republicans--September 1-4, 2008, in St. Paul History of the Selection Process

Primary Elections Reform promoted by Progressives in late 1800’s First held in 1900’s, but not widespread until after WWII Now used by majority of the states to allow voters to select their favorite candidate.

Facts and Terms: Presidential Primaries 1. Closed--only registered members of political party can vote 5. Democratic candidate needs 2,104 out of 4,206 delegates to win nomination 2. Open--all voters may participate in primary, but only vote in one party’s primary 6. Winner-take-all system (used by Republicans)--candidate that received the most votes receives all the state’s delegates 3. Plurality--one candidate receives more votes than another; however, not necessarily a majority 7. Republican candidate needs 1,191 out of 2,380 delegates to win nomination 4. Proportional system (used by the Democrats)--candidates are given same proportion of state’s delegates as votes received 8. Super delegates--party leaders given honorary seats at the nominating convention who are not bound by the primary vote

The Importance of Being Early 1.Iowa--traditionally holds the first caucus of the election season (January 3, 2008) 2.New Hampshire--traditionally holds the first primary of the election season (January 8, 2008) 3.Super Primaries--groups of states holding their primary on the same day to offset the impact of earlier events—called “Tsunami Tuesday,” February 5— Large number of states selecting delegates to increase importance in election 2008—22 states held primaries on this date

Party Conventions—A meeting of the party delegates to determine the candidate Democratic National Convention—August 25-28, 2008 Denver, Colorado Republican National Convention— September 1-4, 2008 Minneapolis, Minnesota

Key Events after the 2008 Convention Debates-3 Presidential Debates and 1 Vice-Presidential Debate Election Day-2 nd Tuesday in November Electoral College Vote-Set by Congress Inauguration-January 20 Originally held in March Changed to January 20 by Amendment XX in 1933

Questions to Consider 1.Which is the most democratic method to select a presidential candidate? Caucus, convention or primary 2.Why have some states begun using “frontloading?” (the process of holding the primary or caucus earlier and earlier) 3.What are advantages to a state having their early in the primary season? What are the disadvantages?

Why should take we take so long to select the President of the United States?