ELECTIONS
Key Topics:
When do presidential elections occur?
What are the requirements for presidential candidates?
What is the ‘invisible primary’?
What are primaries and caucuses and how do they work?
How and when are vice presidential elections chosen?
What function do national party conventions perform?
What role do money and the televised debates play in the general election campaign?
How does the electoral college work?
How do congressional elections work?
What significant trends can be seen in congressional elections?
What is direct democracy, and who and how is it used in the USA?
What are principal similarities and differences between the US and UK electoral systems?
When do presidential elections occur?
America has fixed term of 4 years, which is laid down in the constitution – even when Kennedy was
assassinated in 1963, no quick election but VP Lyndon Johnson took over until 1964.
Stage Functions Occurs
1. Invisible primary Candidates elections Calendar year before the
Increasing name recognition election
Fundraising
Intra-party TV debates
2. Primaries and Caucuses Show popular support for candidates January/February to early
Choose delegates to attend a national party June
convention
3. Choosing vice Presidential candidates announce choice of Some days/weeks before
presidential candidates running convention
4. National party Confirm presidential and vice-presidential Usually July/August – 4
conventions candidates days each
approve party platform
acceptance speech delivered by presidential
candidate
5. General election Campaign between the candidates of the September, October, first
campaign various parties week of November
6. Election Day Registered voters go to the polls Tuesday after the first
Monday in November
7. Electoral college voting Electors vote in their state capitals to Monday after the second
choose a P and VP Wednesday in December
Requirements of a presidential candidate
1
Key Topics:
When do presidential elections occur?
What are the requirements for presidential candidates?
What is the ‘invisible primary’?
What are primaries and caucuses and how do they work?
How and when are vice presidential elections chosen?
What function do national party conventions perform?
What role do money and the televised debates play in the general election campaign?
How does the electoral college work?
How do congressional elections work?
What significant trends can be seen in congressional elections?
What is direct democracy, and who and how is it used in the USA?
What are principal similarities and differences between the US and UK electoral systems?
When do presidential elections occur?
America has fixed term of 4 years, which is laid down in the constitution – even when Kennedy was
assassinated in 1963, no quick election but VP Lyndon Johnson took over until 1964.
Stage Functions Occurs
1. Invisible primary Candidates elections Calendar year before the
Increasing name recognition election
Fundraising
Intra-party TV debates
2. Primaries and Caucuses Show popular support for candidates January/February to early
Choose delegates to attend a national party June
convention
3. Choosing vice Presidential candidates announce choice of Some days/weeks before
presidential candidates running convention
4. National party Confirm presidential and vice-presidential Usually July/August – 4
conventions candidates days each
approve party platform
acceptance speech delivered by presidential
candidate
5. General election Campaign between the candidates of the September, October, first
campaign various parties week of November
6. Election Day Registered voters go to the polls Tuesday after the first
Monday in November
7. Electoral college voting Electors vote in their state capitals to Monday after the second
choose a P and VP Wednesday in December
Requirements of a presidential candidate
1
