E.Q. What is the process by which people are elected to local, state, and national offices?

What are the steps?

In the U. S., the election process occurs in two steps:

1. Nomination—where the choice of candidates are narrowed down to 1 per party

2. General election—where voters make the final choice of officeholder

How can you be nominated? Self-Announcement:

“throwing your hat in the ring”○ Term coined by Teddy

Roosevelt in 1912

What are Primary Elections and Caucuses?

Primary elections are held by political parties; it’s when the party (voters of a particular party) pick the candidate for the general election (state and national elections)

Primaries can be open or closed○ Open : any qualified

voter can cast a ballot○ Closed primaries: only

declared party members can cast ballots.

A caucus is a meeting of members of a particular political party where they pick a candidate

mostly used at local and state level

What is a Nominating Convention?

Took over from the Caucus on the national level

Official meeting of party delegates (from states)to select the party’s presidential candidate

Held in the summer before the general election

The convention develops the party’s platform

What is the roleof Campaigning?

Purpose is to get the candidate’s message out to the voter

○ an effort to influence potential voters

○ use of propaganda to sway voters

What is Campaign Funding?3 basic sources: Most of $ from

Private sources; ○ Ex. Individuals,

families, personal funds.

PACs (political action committees)

Public subsidies○ Ex. Federal matching

fund program

2 types of campaign funds Hard money: money given

directly to a candidate; must be reported to the FEC

Soft money: donations given to local/state organizations for “party-building activities○ Ex. Ads, voter registration.

Campaign Finance Regulating FEC

The Federal Election Commission is an independent agency that is part of the executive branch.

They enforce federal laws concerning campaign finances.