The Road to the
White House
Nominations, Campaigns and
Elections
Stops Along the Way
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1st Stop :Testing the Waters
2nd Stop:Candidate Announcement
3rd Stop: Designing an Electoral Strategy
4th: Primaries and caucuses
5th: Fundraising
6th: Party Nominating Convention
7th: The Fall General campaign
8th: Election Day
9th: The Electoral College
10: The President Elect
1st stop:
Testing the Waters
» People who are interested in running for
president have “an invisible primary”
which involves:
» consulting with political allies,
» Raising money (estimated at 20 million)
» hiring pollsters
» letting party leaders know that they are
thinking of running
2nd stop:
Announcement
» After announcement candidate gets
endorsements from other leaders,
raises funds, and develops overall
strategy, and tries to get media air
time
3rd Stop:
Electoral Strategy
» The candidate hires consultants and
pollsters to develop an electoral
strategy.
» A campaign organization is built in
key states and cities with both paid
election advisors and volunteers.
» Typically candidates move right or
left during primary season to
mobilize party faithful
» Candidates often tack back to
middle during regular election to
gather support of more moderate
electorate.
4th stop:
The Primaries
» First caucus in Iowa and first primary in
New Hampshire marks official beginning
of campaign 9 months before election!
» Super Tuesday in includes many states
In some cases, this large set or primaries
helps a candidate wrap up the
nomination.
» Closed primaries: only registered
party members may participate in
choosing party nominee
» Open primaries: any registered
voter may vote for a party nominee
» Caucuses: People come to caucus
locations to voice their support for a
candidate. No secret ballot.
Design a better system
» Should we have frontloading of
certain primaries, states like Iowa
or New Hampshire, or would be
better served by a National
primary or randomly choosing the
voting order of states each election
cycle?
Primaries vs. Caucuses?
» In primaries people vote for their
candidate by secret ballot. In
caucuses people attend a meeting
of their party and debate the pros
and cons of candidates. Which are
a better way for candidates to be
chosen?
5th stop:
Fundraising
» Fundraising is key to the success for
candidates. Money pays for media spots,
direct mailings, polling, and staff
salaries.
» “Hard money” are funds directly given to
elect candidates.
» “Soft money” are donations made to the
political parties.
» Interest Groups such as unions and
corporations give money through
Political Action Committees or PACs
» The Federal Election Commission
(FEC) regulates campaign financing.
Super PACs
» The Citizen’s United Supreme Court
Decision (2010) viewed donations
as political speech. This resulted in
taking off limits to funding of Super
PACs. Super PACs may not
coordinate with campaigns.
Campaign Financing?
» The recent Supreme Court decision
may effect other campaign
contributions. Should we put limits
on campaign financing, or is this a
violation of free speech?
» Would we be better served by
public financing of campaigns? Why
or why not?
Stop 6:
The Party Convention
» Date back to 1830s
» Makes ultimate decision on party’s
candidate
» Huge media coverage, keynote speeches,
platform debates, selection of running
mate all key features
» Candidate usually already decided well in
advance. Vice Presidential running mate
usually chosen to “balance the ticket”
Stop 7:
The General Campaign
» This is the campaign between the
nominated Democrat against the
nominated Republican candidate.
» It runs after the two conventions until
the November election.
» The campaign organizations and workers
to get the vote out- telephone calls,
mailings, posters. The whole party
organization is mobilized.
Stop 8: Election Day
» Most elections are held on the
Tuesday after the first Monday in
November.
» Most American elections use the
Australian ballot which is printed at
public expense with all candidate
names. It is given out at polls and
marked in secret.
» Over half of all US voting now includes
electronic voting machines.
Stop 9:
The Electoral College
» The actual election of the president is made in
the electoral college in December after the
November popular election.
» Electors are chosen by each political party.
» If a plurality of a state chooses one party then
that party’s electors go to the electoral college
in December to cast their votes.
» There are 538 Electors, equal to the number
of senators and representatives.
Stop 10:
The President Elect
» During the period after the election until
the inauguration in January, the
candidate is known as the president
elect.
» During this period the president elect
finds people for his cabinet and plans for
policy implementation when he or she
takes office.