Once an individual has decided that they feel they have the

necessary requirements to be a presidential candidate – how

do they actually become president?
What is the process for becoming a presidential candidate?
YOUR TASK:
• Cut out the cards and put them in the order in
which they take place in the presidential
process.
• Title your diagram and stick the cards in the
correct order, leaving plenty of space around
each card.
• Use the video clip to help you: VIDEO CLIP
Deciding to “Run”: Can you help Kanye?
Should I launch Is my
exploratory family up
committees to see if for it?
it’s worth running? Can I raise
enough
money?
Which party am I
going to run for?

Can I get
the support
Who is likely to I need?
challenge me for the
nomination of the
party?
Do I have any
Is now or
“baggage”
“next time”
that will hurt
the right
Who is likely to be my me?
time?
main rival?
Enquiry Question: How do elections work?
 Learning Outcomes
• To explain the procedures for primary elections
(closed and open) and caucuses
• To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of
each
 Key Vocabulary Dominoes
YOUR TASK:
You will need to fully understand and be able to use a wide range of political vocabulary
to describe the primary process.
Working in small groups, connect the dominos so that the definitions and correctly
matched up.
 Primaries & Caucuses

• Mechanism which exists for the public to have a say in

who becomes the party’s candidate for elective office.
• Famously take place for presidential elections and mid-
terms but they can happen at every level of elected
office.
• Little uniformity in how and when they happen –
differences between states and between the parties.
Why does this primary process take place?
1. There are often many contenders from within a party
for the elected post and it is a way of choosing which
one represents the party.
2. More democratic – the public is involved
 Primaries & Caucuses

• 2 main types
• Primaries ‐ An election to determine which candidate will
be the sole person to represent a particular political party
in a contest for elected office.
• General Elections ‐ Candidates representing all of the
different parties (but no more than one candidate from
each party) compete against one another.
• Different states have different types of primaries:
– Closed primary: only registered members / voters of the
political party in question can vote in their party’s primary. (i.e.
“It’s our team, we pick our captain!”)
– Open primary: registered voters belonging to any political party
may pick any one of the political parties having a primary
contest to vote in.
 Primaries & Caucuses

• To represent one’s political party in the presidential

election one must become the “nominee” of their party.
– In previous elections political parties and “party bosses” selected
nominees with little regard for what the people and less important
members of the party had to say.
• Today candidates must compete in primaries and caucuses
in order to become their party’s nominee.
– Primaries: elections in which a state’s voters go to the polls
(voting booth) to express their preference for a party’s nominee
for president.
– Caucus: a less frequently used process where the public must
show up at a set time and attend an open meeting to express
their preference for their party’s nomination.
• Primaries and caucuses reflect the will of the individual
voter and also the preference of each state.
What is a primary? What is a caucus?

A state based election to choose a A state based series of meetings

party’s candidate for the selection of a party’s
Different types of primaries: candidate. They fulfil the same
a) Open Primary (e.g. Vermont) function as primaries but the
- anyone can vote in the method is very different. Iowa is
primary but not allowed to the most famous. The caucus can
vote in more than one (have involve meetings in people’s
to choose DP or RP primary) homes or local halls and public
ADVANTAGES? declarations of votes and a process
b) Closed Primary (e.g. of convincing each other.
Connecticut) - only registered
members of the party can
vote. ADVANTAGES?
c) Modified Primary (e.g. Ohio) -
registered voters and
independent/non-affiliated
voters
 Primaries & Caucuses

Watch the video clip: Primary Elections Explained

Inside the Iowa Caucus 2008
New Hampshire Primary 2012
YOUR TASK: Presidential Primaries
• You will be allocated a “state”.
• You will examine the 2016 Election Schedule and analyse the primary and causes
process.
• You will then complete an explanation of the primary/caucus process in your
“state”.

Iowa - Emily
New Hampshire - Keeley
District of Columbia - Deanna
Texas - Kevin
California - Siannah
New York - Erida
Virginia - Madihah
Alaska - Reya
Ohio - Rudi
Florida - Fajr
 Key Questions: Presidential
Election Schedule

1. When does the primary season begin and end?

2. Which events are expected first for both parties?
3. Are there groups of states that hold their primaries on the same days?
Explain.
4. Are all states having a primary or caucus for both parties? Explain.
5. When is your state holding its primaries or caucuses?
6. Why does the schedule sometimes differ from one presidential primary
season to another?
7. What traditionally happens during the nominating process for a party
that has a sitting president up for re-election?
8. Explain the nomination process in your state.
– Does your state hold primaries or caucuses or both?
– How are delegates to the national conventions allocated in your state?
– Is there anything unique about the process in your state?
 Learning Outcomes
• To explain the procedures for primary elections
(closed and open) and caucuses
• To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of
each
 YOUR TASK:
• You will be given a table identifying the definitions,
advantages and disadvantages of different types of
primaries and caucuses.
• On your table match up the cards to create a whole table.
• Add clear and concise notes to your own evaluation table.

STRETCH & CHALLENGE:

Go even further – look at the more detailed evaluation of the disadvantages and
advantages of primaries (handout).
Create a 2 minute persuasive pitch EITHER supporting the use of primaries or opposing
the use of primaries.
 Learning Outcomes
• To explain the procedures for primary elections
(closed and open) and caucuses
• To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of
each
 See the
infograph
here
 Homework
Application Task:
To what extent are caucuses a better method of
candidate selection than primaries?
Preparation Task:
Primaries and Caucuses (Bennett p42-61)
Stretch & Challenge Task
Everything you need to know about how the
presidential primary works
 Primaries and caucuses National Convention Primaries and caucuses National Convention

General Election campaign Presidential debates General Election campaign Presidential debates

Invisible primary Election day Invisible primary Election day

Inaugration Super Tuesday Inaugration Super Tuesday