Selecting a President:
Primaries & Caucuses
Presidential Selection
 Stage 1: Caucuses & Primaries
The Battle for the Party Faithful
 Stage 2: Nominating Conventions
“Glorified Infomercials?”
 Stage 3: General Election
The Fight for the Center
 Stage 4: Electoral College
Power to the People?
Stage 1: Caucuses
Barrack Obama campaigns in Iowa
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Closed meeting of party members in each state
Delegates select the party’s choice for presidential candidate
Currently, six states, including Nevada in 2008, offer party
caucuses selecting presidential nominees.
Stage 1: Caucuses
Hilary Clinton (D) and Rudy Guilliani (R) campaigning in Iowa
Questions for Discussion:
1. The Iowa Caucus is on January 3, 2008. Why is it
so important?
2. Brainstorm pros and cons to the caucus format.
Stage 1: Primaries
Presidential Primary Elections - special elections in
which voters select candidates to be the party’s nominee
for president in the general election.
 Primary Season January - June
 Who Decides? - State
party organizations for
the most part decide the
rules for the primaries in
a particular state.
 Types of Primaries:
 Closed Primaries
 Open Primaries
Mitt Romney campaigning in New Hampshire
Closed Primary
• Voters may vote in a party's primary only if
they are registered members of that party
Open Primary
• A registered
voter may vote
in any party
primary
regardless of
his or her own
party
affiliation.
Methods of Selecting Presidential Delegates by State
2008 Open & Closed Primaries
Map of 2008 Primary & Caucus Dates