Description

Podcast Shownotes: American Politics 101 - Episode 3

Overview of the Presidential Campaign Process

Pre-Campaign Period

• Timeline
  The pre-campaign period usually starts two years before the election year when candidates begin fundraising.
  One year before the election, primaries and debates begin.
• Exploratory Committee
  Each candidate must conduct research, find supporters, engage in extensive promotion, and make numerous phone calls.
  They need to visit every state and district, requiring the hiring of many people, making the campaign very expensive.

Primaries and Party Elections

• Primaries and Caucuses
  Each party must hold an election within the party, usually referred to as primaries or caucus season.
  Voters must be at least 18 years old and registered under a specific party or as independent voters.
  In the primaries, voters can only select one candidate within their registered party.
• Party Debates
  During the primaries, candidates participate in debates, allowing voters to make final decisions based on the candidates' policies and performance.
  Typically, the top two popular parties are the Democrats and Republicans, each having DNC (Democratic National Committee) and RNC (Republican National Committee) debates.

National Conventions

• National Conventions
  Each party nominates a presidential candidate at the national convention.
  The candidate with the most delegate votes becomes the party nominee and selects a vice-presidential candidate.

Campaign Activities

• Campaign Activities
  From the end of the primaries to Election Day, the nominees actively promote their policies and goals through rallies and speeches.
  They visit various states and districts, appear in news and TV, and engage in extensive advertising.

Election Day

• Election Day
  Election Day is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
  Voters must be at least 18 years old and U.S. citizens to vote.
  Each voter can only vote within their registered party. Independent voters can see all candidates but can only vote for the leading candidates from each party.