Lesson Plan: Primaries and Caucuses — How
do Parties Choose a Candidate?
Background, Activities and Critical Analysis
By Laura Maupin
SUBJECTS
U. S. History, Government, Civics, Public Policy, Social Studies
ESTIMATED TIME
One to Two Class Periods
GRADE LEVEL
Grades 7-12
OBJECTIVE
After completing this lesson, students will understand the process by which candidates for U.S.
president are nominated by the Democratic and Republican parties. They will identify and
understand differences between primaries and caucuses and key terms and issues related to the
primary season.
MATERIALS YOU NEED
1. U.S. government or civics textbooks and/or computers with Internet access
2. The Presidential Nominating System: Handout
3. The Presidential Nominating System: Key
PROCEDURE
1. Begin by giving your students some background on the nominating process and primary season
in the race for U.S. president. You may wish to refer to or have your students read the
following article.
2. Give your students the Presidential Nominating System: Handout and have them complete it
individually or in small groups. Students will need government or civics textbooks and/or
computers with Internet access.
3. Having gained a basic understanding of the nomination process, you may now have your
students discuss, debate, and analyze the following issues. You may wish to do this in small
groups, as an entire class, or by having your students select one issue and write about it.
1 The System
Think about the process of nominating a party's candidate for president. How has this process
changed over the last 40 years? Why? What impact have these changes had on nominating
conventions? What do you think of these changes?
The Schedule
Explain the impact of frontloading. What special importance does the primary schedule give to
states with earlier primaries? To candidates who organize and fundraise early? What has
happened to the effective length of the primary season?
Comparisons
Compare the primaries and caucuses to the general election for president in terms of
participation. What percentage of the population votes in primaries? How does this differ from
the general election for president? How else do those who vote in the primaries differ from the
electorate as a whole? Analyze the implications of these differences.
EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
Have your students learn more about and even get involved in your state's primary/caucus. What
is the history of primaries and/or caucuses in your state? How do the parties differ in the rules
they set for the primary or caucus in your state? How would an interested voter get more involved
in the process? What special role, if any, is your state's primary or caucus likely to have in this
year's presidential primary season? Who do you expect to do well in your state and why? Students
may get more involved by working on the campaigns of particular candidates, helping to inform
voters by volunteering for nonpartisan organizations such as The League of Women Voters, or by
"poll watching" on primary days.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laura Maupin was the social studies and student government adviser at Thomas Jefferson High
School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia.
2 Lesson Plan: THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING SYSTEM
HANDOUT
Key terms: Identify (define and explain the significance of) the following:
Nomination –
National party convention –
Primary –
Open primary –
Closed primary –
Caucus –
Iowa Caucus –
New Hampshire Primary –
Frontloading –
Super Tuesday –
Delegate –
Superdelegate –
Proportional System –
Winner-take-all System –
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/
1
Key Questions
Look at the 2012 schedule of primaries and answer the following questions about it. (Available
at: http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-republican-primary-schedule/)
a. When does the primary season begin and end?
b. Which events are first?
c. Are there groups of states holding their primaries on the same days? Explain.
d. Are all states having a primary or caucus for both parties? Explain.
e. When is your state holding its primaries or caucuses?
f. How does the schedule differ from previous presidential primary years?
Explain the nomination process in your state. Does your state hold primaries or caucuses or
both? How are delegates to the national conventions allocated in your state? Is there anything
unique about the process in your state? (To search for info about your state see:
http://www.votesmart.org/mystate_government_resources.php.)
What traditionally happens during the nominating process for a party that has a sitting president
up for reelection, as is the case this year?
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/
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Lesson Plan: THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING SYSTEM
HANDOUT
Key Terms
Nomination – the official endorsement of a candidate by a party
National party convention – held in the summer before the general election, where the candidate
is chosen by the delegates selected during the primaries and caucuses and the party platform is
adopted
Primary – a preliminary election, in this case of delegates that are usually pledged to vote for
particular candidates at party nominating conventions, first held in 1912, now over 40 states will
hold them with about 75% of delegates being chosen this way, state laws determine when they are
held, parties establish rules for how delegates are allocated
Open primary – open to all, regardless of party affiliation
Closed primary – open only to those registered as party members
Caucus – the original method by which most delegates to the nominating conventions were
selected, now much less popular, formerly run by party bosses, now consists of meetings open to
voters registered with each party where candidates are discussed and delegates are selected to go
to larger caucuses and ultimately to the national conventions
Iowa Caucus – traditionally the first caucus and first event in the primary season, thus much
media attention is given to it
New Hampshire Primary – traditionally the first primary, receives a great deal of media attention
Frontloading – states holding their primaries and caucuses earlier and earlier to capitalize on
disproportionate attention paid to early primaries and caucuses
Super Tuesday – the Tuesday in early March when a number of Southern states have held their
primaries together in order to balance the importance of earlier events in Northern states, this
year there will be several “super Tuesdays”
Delegate – voting representative to party nominating convention where the candidate for
president is chosen, usually pledged to a particular candidate
Superdelegates – party leaders, such as elected officials, who are given seats at a nominating
Convention
Proportional System – system used in Democratic primaries and some Republican primaries
whereby candidates are allocated the same proportion of a state‟s delegates as they received
votes
Winner-take-all System – system used in some Republican primaries whereby the candidate to
receive the most votes in a state receives all of that state‟s delegate http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/ 2
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/
1
Key Questions
Look at the 2012 schedule of primaries and answer the following questions about it. (Available
at: http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-republican-primary-schedule/)
When does the primary season begin and end?
It begins on Jan. 3, 2012 and ends on June 26, 2012.
Which events are first?
The primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina are first – on Jan. 3, 10 and 21, respectively
Are there groups of states holding their primaries on the same days? Explain.
Yes, groups of states will hold primaries on Feb. 7, March 6, March 13, April 3, April 24, May 8, May 15
and June 5. The largest of these is „Super Tuesday‟ on March 6, when 10 states will hold primaries.
Are all states having a primary or caucus for both parties? Explain.
Yes, all states will have a primary for both parties so they may send delegates to the party’s national
conventions. However, the Democratic primaries will gain much less attention in 2012 because President
Barack Obama is almost certain to be re-nominated.
When is your state holding its primaries or caucuses?
See the schedule here: http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-republican-primary-schedule/
How does the schedule differ from previous presidential primary years?
Several states have moved their primaries up, and „Super Tuesday‟ has fewer participating states than in
the past.
Explain the nomination process in your state. Does your state hold primaries or caucuses or
both? How are delegates to the national conventions allocated in your state? Is there anything
unique about the process in your state? (To search for info about your state see:
http://www.votesmart.org/mystate_government_resources.php.)
Answers will vary. Students may consult their state websites or other materials provided by
state election officials.
What traditionally happens during the nominating process for a party that has a sitting president
up for re-election, as is the case this year?
The incumbent is usually easily re-nominated, often by 100% of the convention delegates
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/
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