1 of 18

Quote

  • Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be.

- Sydney J. Harris

​

​

Note: Read Ch 16 sec 2,3

2 of 18

Presidential Race

3 of 18

The Election Process

  1. Announcement
  2. Raise Money & Campaign
  3. Conventions
  4. Primaries/Caucuses
  5. Election Day
  6. Inauguration

4 of 18

Announcement

  • The candidate makes sure he is well-known
  • He checks with political leaders in other primary states to see if he has a chance of winning
  • He announces that he is running and immediately starts hiring his campaign staff

5 of 18

Campaign Staff

  • CAMPAIGN MANAGER: oversees the whole campaign process
  • STRATEGIST: develops ideas for the candidate
  • SPOKESMAN: speaks to the media and helps organize speeches
  • POLLSTER: takes polls of the people’s opinions for research
  • VOLUNTEERS AND INTERNS: make signs, hold parties, ect.

6 of 18

Raising Money

  • Public funding
    • Presidential candidates receive money from the federal government to help pay for costs
  • Private funding: $1 billion is needed
    • Political Action Committees (PACs)
      • Private groups that give money to help elect their candidate
      • Can only give $5,000 per candidate per election
    • Soft money
      • Money given to political parties which can be used to help the candidate
    • Hard money
      • Money given directly to the candidate which is heavily regulated by the government
  • Federal Election Commission
    • It regulates all election finances

7 of 18

Campaigning

  • Build an image (name recognition)
    • Use the media and the internet
    • Focus on a positive approach
  • Develop a platform of issues
    • Social Security, health care, taxes, education, affirmative action, abortion, gun rights, environment
  • Travel to key cities/places and give speeches

8 of 18

Conventions

  • Elected or appointed delegates representing the 50 states attend
  • Purpose is to select a ticket (candidates of each party for president and vice president) to run for President
  • They also choose the party platform

​

9 of 18

Primaries/Caucuses

  • Primaries/Caucuses
    • Deciding who they will vote for in the Presidential Election
  • Caucuses
    • Private meeting of party leaders to pick who they will vote for in the Presidential election
  • Republican and Democrat nominees go state-by-state promoting their party platform
  • “Super Tuesday”
    • 19 states hold a primary for Presidential candidates

10 of 18

Election Day

  • Popular vote
    • Registered voters may go to the polls to vote for the candidate of their choice to be the next President
    • 56.8% of registered voters voted in the election of 2008
  • Electoral college vote
    • Based on population: each state gets a certain number of electoral votes
    • If enough large states vote for a candidate in the electoral college, you can win the Presidency even if you do not receive the popular vote
    • Whomever wins the majority vote in the electoral college wins

11 of 18

Elements of Elections

12 of 18

Electoral College

  • Read the article.
  • Answer the questions:
    • How does the electoral college work?
    • Why do we have it?
    • Why don’t we use the popular vote?

13 of 18

  • A President can win the electoral college with eleven states. Which ones are they?

14 of 18

Inauguration Day – Jan. 20

  • Morning Worship Service
  • Procession to the Capitol
  • President’s Swearing-in Ceremony
  • Inaugural Address
  • Departure of the Outgoing President
  • Inaugural Parade & Ball

15 of 18

Ronald Reagan

  • 40th President (1981-1989)
    • 1980 election against Carter
    • 1984 election against Mondale
  • Winning Factors
    • Lower taxes, less government, states’ rights, national defense
  • Political Issues
    • Iranian Hostage Crisis
    • Reaganomics: supply-side economics
    • End of Cold War

16 of 18

Bill Clinton

  • 42nd President (1993-2001)
    • 1992 election against George H. W. Bush
    • 1996 election against Dole
  • Winning Factors
    • Domestic issues, economy
  • Political Issues
    • Economy
    • Impeachment

17 of 18

George W. Bush

  • 43rd President (2001-2009)
    • 2000 election against Al Gore
    • 2004 election against John Kerry
  • Winning Factors
    • Increasing military, cutting taxes, improving education, and helping minorities
  • Political Issues
    • 9/11 and War on Terror
    • Iraq
      • Military campaign that began in 2003 in search of WMDs

​

18 of 18

Barack Obama

  • 44th President (2009-present)
    • 2008 election against John McCain
  • Winning Factors
    • Hope and change, “Yes, we can!”
  • Political Issues
    • Health Care
      • Expansion of health insurance coverage to cover the uninsured, to restrict premium increase, and to allow people to keep their coverage when they leave or change jobs
      • Proposal was to spend $900 billion over 10 years