Elections and Voting – Unit 3 – Topic 2
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When do Presidential Elections occur?
What are the requirements for Presidential candidates?
What is the ‘invisible primary’?
How are Presidential candidates selected?
How and when are vice-presidential candidates selected?
What functions do modern day National Party Conventions have?
What roles do money and television play in the General Election campaign?
What factors explain voting behaviour?
How does the Electoral College system work?
What are the seven stages of the election
process?
The invisible primary – up to two years before the Presidential Election
Primaries and caucuses –January to June
Choosing the vice-presidential candidate - July
National Party Conventions - August
General Election Campaigns - August to November
Election Day - First Tuesday after the first Monday in November
Electoral College – the Monday following the second Wednesday in December
The actual announcement is made to the Senate on the 6th January and the new President and Vice – President
are sworn in on January 20th.
Constitutional requirements:
• Natural born citizen
• At least 35 years old
• Have to have had residency for 14 years
• There has been a two term limit since 1951, so the candidate should
not have exceeded this.
Extra constitutional
requirements
Political experience
• Governors/Senators/Vicepresidents/Representatives?
Exceptions
General Dwight
D Eisenhower
1953 - 1961
Major party
endorsement
Third party
candidates stand
little chance
• Pat Buchannan – 1992
• Ross Perot – 1992
Personal Characteristics
Comment
Hillary
he
MostNow
Powerful Women
InClinton
Politics, 2012
In a conversation
with
a Torontomen
audience
last week,
ignited
further
speculation
around abetween
potentialsexes.
2016 presidential
run. “Hypothetically
speaking,
do hope
that
A recent
study of 18 to
25-year-old
and women
found a “persistent gender gap” when
it came
to the
political ambition
Women surveyed
were not only less
likely Itoreally
express
interest
inwe
or
Are female
Although
Despite
The
What’s
study
more,
the
these
electing
goes
politicians
history-making
in
global
on
today’s
ato
female
political
cite
doing
new
a president
number
possibilities
enough
media
role models,
environment,
of
to
would,
cultural
encourage
associated
are
according
women
forces
there
other
with
influencing
into
are
a
women
America
Clinton,
Clinton
far more
to
these
willing
bid
require
runways
for
for
attitudes,
to
the
aoffice?
to
“step
“leap
oval
influence
up”
of
office,
including
faith”
and
the
her
throw
on
political
the
remarks
the
fact
their
part
agenda
that
hat
were
of awomen
American
into
athan
sobering
thereport
running
brutal,
voters,
reminder
feeling
rough-and-tumble
for
such
office
less
an
that
or
historic
qualified
not
punching
enough
occasion
world
to run
your
women
of
for
also
card
politics
office,
today
“really
at the
as
and
are
candidates?
depends
voting
consequently
willing
booths.
on
toThe
women
make
Thanks
require
paths
a
stepping
run
may
to
significant
for
social
be
elected
up
getting
media,
and
convincing
subjecting
paved
for Very
exampl
from
the
few
Nonetheless,
the
presence
women
in
positions
power
around
the
world
does
serve
as
powerful
affirmation
of
what’s
possible
for
Women,
for
example,
are
at
helm
ofoffice.
some
offaster
the
w
have a woman
presidentof
in more
my lifetime,”
said
Clintonof
topolitical
an enthusiastic
consider
audience
running
of
for
thousands.
office
than
“I their
hope
male
that
we
counterparts,
will
see a woman
they
were
elected
also
because
far less
likely
Iothers.
thinktoitconsider
would send
an
elective
exactly office
the
right
as the
ahistoric
desirable
signal
profession.
to girls,
women as well as boys and men. And I will certainly vote for the right woman to be president.”
20
……….more personal characteristics……..gender and
marital status
ical process. At the recent
Forbes Women’s Summit in New York, I asked Secretary Napolitano to identify the most under-utilized tool that women possess to impact meanin
Money – the ability to fundraise or self finance
See all candidates -- including those who have dropped out.
• opensecrets.org
Barack Obama
(D)
Mitt Romney
(R)
Raised
$715,677,692
$446,135,997
Spent
$683,546,548
$433,281,516
Debts
$7,223,153
$1,200,000
Cash
(on Hand)
$5,397,399
$12,921,629
BLUE TEAM
$1,107,114,702
RED TEAM
$1,238,097,161
Overall
Spending
(See More)
Telegenic and oratorical skills
• Bill Clinton
• Barack Obama
Sound and relevant policies
• ‘The economy, stupid’ Bill Clinton
• Campaign Finance – John McCain
• The Iraq War – Howard Dean
• Healthcare Reform - Obama