Transcript How to become President of the United States

ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How are Primary and General
Elections different?
WHAT ARE FIVE THINGS YOU WOULD LOOK FOR IN A
PRESIDENT?
• Education?
• Character?
• Military
experience?
• Age?
• Previous
government
experience?
• Gender?
• Personality?
• Religion?
• Marital Status?
• Criminal
history?
What else
would be
important to
you?
WHAT DOES THE CONSTITUTION SAY ABOUT
WHO CAN BE PRESIDENT?
The President must be:
Do you agree with the
Constitutional qualifications?
Primaries and Caucuses
STEP 1
HOW TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
There are many
people who have
their own ideas
about how
government
should work.
People with similar ideas
group together and form
political parties…
What are the two main political
parties in the United States
today?
Candidates from each party campaign to gain
leadership within their own party.
Primaries and Caucuses
STEP 1
HOW TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Multiple people from each party may decide
they want to be the candidate.
This is where primaries and caucuses come in.
Primaries and Caucuses
STEP 1
HOW TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Most states hold a
primary, in which voters
cast secret ballots for the
best candidate that will
represent the party in
the general election.
Click HERE to read more about primaries.
This is where voters can cast their vote to
determine who will represent each party.
Primaries and Caucuses
STEP 1
HOW TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
In some states, a
caucus is held to
select the best
candidate from each
party through
discussions and open
votes.
Click HERE to read more about caucuses.
Which states hold caucuses?
Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine,
Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, Wyoming
and Iowa
Now it’s time to
officially decide who
will be the Presidential
and Vice Presidential
candidate for each
party.
Each party holds a national convention to
select a final presidential nominee.
National Conventions
STEP 2
HOW TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Photo from:
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/09/06/1513929
34_480x360.jpg
Photo from:
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/08/30/1510149
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National Conventions
STEP 2
HOW TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
At the convention, the Presidential candidate
announces a running mate (Vice Presidential
Candidate).
Photo from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezraklein/files/2012/08/wonk0831.jpg
Photo from:
http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2012/09/07/bidenobamafdc1cd7ef8ae88d3fffb9cae1f3fb6c1e8977604-s3.jpg
What do you think a Presidential
candidate is looking for in a Vice
President?
The Presidential candidates campaign
throughout the country to win the support of
the general population.
Campaigning
STEP 3
HOW TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
What do you think about the campaign ads you
have seen?
People in every state across the country
vote for a President and Vice President.
General Election
STEP 4
HOW TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
When people cast their vote, they are
actually voting for a group of people
known as electors who are part of the
process called the Electoral College .
What is the Electoral College?
Who are electors?
Electoral College
STEP 5
HOW TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
In the Electoral College
system, each state gets a
certain number of electors
based on its representation
in Congress.
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
The Electoral College is a system where
538 electors cast votes to decide who will
be the President and Vice President.
Why
538?
This is the total of the members of
the U.S. House of Representatives,
the U.S. Senate,
and three votes for the District of
Columbia.
In Florida, electors are nominated by their
political party and approved by the Governor.
Because Florida has 29 electoral votes, each
party (Democrat and Republican) is allowed
to appoint 29 electors.
Why 29?
Florida has 27 Congressional
Districts (FL gained two districts due
to a population increase) and 2
Senators….for a total of 29.
435* + 100 + 3 = 538
Public Law 62-5 says that 435 will be the number in the House of Representatives. This number
does not change, rather other states lose seats as states gain seats in the House.
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Whichever candidate receives the popular (majority) vote in a
state (>50%), wins the electoral votes.
For example, in Florida:
Candidate A
Candidate B
29 Electors
29 Electors
If candidate B wins more than 50% of the
popular vote, their 29 electors get to cast
their votes for that Candidate.
Candidate A loses the race for that state.
Each elector casts one vote following the
general election, and the candidate who gets
more than half (270 of 538) wins.
Electoral College
STEP 5
HOW TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Florida has
29
electoral
votes.
The newly elected
President and Vice
President are
inaugurated (sworn
into office) in January.
Note: Inauguration Day by law is January 20th. However,
since the 20th is a Sunday, a private ceremony will be
held on January 20th, with a public inauguration taking
place on January 21st,
Comparing
Electoral
College models:
Which is better?
WHICH MODEL IS BETTER?
W I N N E R TA K E A L L
THE DISTRICT SYSTEM
•More than 50% of the popular
vote wins ALL of the elector
votes
•One electoral vote is awarded to
each candidate winning the popular
vote in each congressional district *
•48 of the states use this system
•The two remaining votes are
awarded to the candidates with the
most votes statewide
•Maine and Nebraska use this
system
*Remember, the number of electors are based
on the number of members in the United
States House of Representatives (who
represent congressional districts within a
state)…
… and two U.S. Senators.
SOURCES
http://magazines.scholastic.com/Election-2012/faqs-primary
http://kids.usa.gov/president/index.shtml
http://www.factcheck.org/2008/04/caucus-vs-primary/