Introduction
American politicians say the way they elect their president is one of the most open and democratic processes in the world. But to outsiders it can also be one of the most baffling.
The election race in some countries takes just a few weeks, but US presidential candidates undergo a political marathon, negotiating primaries, party conventions and an Electoral College system along the way.
1. The primaries
The primary is the first step in choosing a party's candidate. In most countries, the party picks the candidate. But in the US, voters who declare support for one party or another get to choose from a list.
US presidential elections are always held in November. State primaries begin the preceding January, with candidates campaigning against other members of the same party for the nomination.
Delegates at the party's national convention in the summer make the final selection. In the primaries, voters select these delegates, who in most cases have pledged to support a particular candidate. Candidates need a majority of delegates at the convention to win.
Some states, such as Iowa, use a Caucus System rather than primaries to choose their delegates. Whereas in primaries people simply indicate at the ballot box which delegates they support, caucuses are more complex and work by selecting delegates through a number of stages.
2. The convention
The party conventions are one of the great set pieces of American politics. Each state arrives at the hall with its own delegates and banners declaring which presidential candidate it supports.
By this stage, the party normally knows who has won. The delegates from each state formally choose their champion to go forward as presidential candidate.
The candidate with the most delegates wins - and normally secures the support of party rivals. The winning candidate also names a vice-presidential running mate.
3. The campaign
The rival candidates square up for the presidential campaign proper.
Policies are refined, often to take into account the supporters of the candidates who have been eliminated. This stage of the campaign is shorter than the slog through the state primaries. There is heavy spending on nationwide television publicity, and there are usually televised debates between the candidates.
In the final weeks, the contenders typically concentrate their attention on big so-called "swing states" as they battle it out for the critical Electoral College votes.
Vocabulary
baffling : confusing, puzzling
undergo: go through, endure, submit
pledged: a binding promise or agreement
ballot boxes: a box for receiving ballots (urna de votação)
banners: a piece of cloth attached by one edge to a staff and used by a leader as his standard (faixa)
square up: to regulate or adjust by or to some standard , to settle a bill or debt
policies: a definite course or method of action selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions to guide and determine present and future decisions
refined: precise to a fine degree, free from coarseness or vulgarity; polite (no context do artigo esta mais para: as políticas prometidas no inicio da campanha são então peneiradas e ajustadas
o que pode significar uma inclusão de uma promessa de um ex-candidato, ou a retirada de
algo que percebesse que não esta de comum agrado dos eleitores, etc...)
take into account: To take into consideration; allow for
slog: To walk or progress with a slow heavy pace; plod
contenders: the candidates
swing states: states where they support for a final candidate was not defined yet.
battle it out: to fight (figuratively)
Caucus: Caucus, a general term for a policymaking meeting of members of a political party. The term has various shades of meaning, depending on the nature of the business transacted at such a meeting. Undertones of disrepute are associated with the word because of the early American practice of holding clandestine caucuses to select candidates and determine issues without public discussion.
The congressional caucus for nominating U.S. presidential candidates in the first quarter of the 19th century was later discredited and gave way to national party conventions. Nominating caucuses in state legislatures gave way to conventions and later to direct primary elections. Legislative caucuses on the national and state levels in the United States remain useful tools for determining party strategy, but their decisions are not necessarily binding on legislators. In Britain the term "caucus" usually refers to a system of party organization.
American politicians say the way they elect their president is one of the most open and democratic processes in the world. But to outsiders it can also be one of the most baffling.
The election race in some countries takes just a few weeks, but US presidential candidates undergo a political marathon, negotiating primaries, party conventions and an Electoral College system along the way.
1. The primaries
The primary is the first step in choosing a party's candidate. In most countries, the party picks the candidate. But in the US, voters who declare support for one party or another get to choose from a list.
US presidential elections are always held in November. State primaries begin the preceding January, with candidates campaigning against other members of the same party for the nomination.
Delegates at the party's national convention in the summer make the final selection. In the primaries, voters select these delegates, who in most cases have pledged to support a particular candidate. Candidates need a majority of delegates at the convention to win.
Some states, such as Iowa, use a Caucus System rather than primaries to choose their delegates. Whereas in primaries people simply indicate at the ballot box which delegates they support, caucuses are more complex and work by selecting delegates through a number of stages.
2. The convention
The party conventions are one of the great set pieces of American politics. Each state arrives at the hall with its own delegates and banners declaring which presidential candidate it supports.
By this stage, the party normally knows who has won. The delegates from each state formally choose their champion to go forward as presidential candidate.
The candidate with the most delegates wins - and normally secures the support of party rivals. The winning candidate also names a vice-presidential running mate.
3. The campaign
The rival candidates square up for the presidential campaign proper.
Policies are refined, often to take into account the supporters of the candidates who have been eliminated. This stage of the campaign is shorter than the slog through the state primaries. There is heavy spending on nationwide television publicity, and there are usually televised debates between the candidates.
In the final weeks, the contenders typically concentrate their attention on big so-called "swing states" as they battle it out for the critical Electoral College votes.
Vocabulary
baffling : confusing, puzzling
undergo: go through, endure, submit
pledged: a binding promise or agreement
ballot boxes: a box for receiving ballots (urna de votação)
banners: a piece of cloth attached by one edge to a staff and used by a leader as his standard (faixa)
square up: to regulate or adjust by or to some standard , to settle a bill or debt
policies: a definite course or method of action selected from among alternatives and in light of given conditions to guide and determine present and future decisions
refined: precise to a fine degree, free from coarseness or vulgarity; polite (no context do artigo esta mais para: as políticas prometidas no inicio da campanha são então peneiradas e ajustadas
o que pode significar uma inclusão de uma promessa de um ex-candidato, ou a retirada de
algo que percebesse que não esta de comum agrado dos eleitores, etc...)
take into account: To take into consideration; allow for
slog: To walk or progress with a slow heavy pace; plod
contenders: the candidates
swing states: states where they support for a final candidate was not defined yet.
battle it out: to fight (figuratively)
Caucus: Caucus, a general term for a policymaking meeting of members of a political party. The term has various shades of meaning, depending on the nature of the business transacted at such a meeting. Undertones of disrepute are associated with the word because of the early American practice of holding clandestine caucuses to select candidates and determine issues without public discussion.
The congressional caucus for nominating U.S. presidential candidates in the first quarter of the 19th century was later discredited and gave way to national party conventions. Nominating caucuses in state legislatures gave way to conventions and later to direct primary elections. Legislative caucuses on the national and state levels in the United States remain useful tools for determining party strategy, but their decisions are not necessarily binding on legislators. In Britain the term "caucus" usually refers to a system of party organization.
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