Understanding the Understanding the The Road to the The Road to the

PresidencyPresidency© 2010, TESCCC

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© 2010, TESCCC

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.

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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

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Key Events after the 2008 Convention

• Debates-3 Presidential Debates and 1 Vice-Presidential Debate

• Election Day-1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November

• Electoral College Vote-Set by Congress

• Inauguration-January 20

• Originally held in March

• Changed to January 20 by Amendment XX in 1933

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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 them early in the primary season? What are the disadvantages?

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

© 2010, TESCCC