United States Government: Democracy in Action

To win elections, a party must first offer appealing candidates and conduct expensive campaigns. Nomination for public office usually can happen in four ways: Caucus Nominating conventions Primary election petition

Early in the nation’s history, caucuses---private meetings of party leaders---chose nearly all candidates for office. Most people had no say in selecting the candidates and the process was criticized as undemocratic. Today, caucuses require openess with the selection process starting at the local level. Neighborhood county congressional district state level

A nominating convention is an official public meeting of a party to choose candidates for office. Local party organizations send representatives to a county nominating convention that selects candidates for county offices and chooses delegates who will go to a state nominating conventions.

The state convention selects candidates for statewide office and chooses delegates who will go to the national convention. Nominating conventions seemed more democratic but as they developed powerful party leaders, called bosses, chose delegates and controlled conventions.

The method most commonly used today to nominate candidates is the direct primary, an election in which party members select people to run in the general election. Closed primary: only members of a political party can vote. Kentucky Open primary: all voters may participate, even if they do not belong to the party, but can only vote in one party’s primary. Illinois

Primary elections are conducted according to state law and are held at regular polling places jus as general elections are. Each state: sets date provides ballots provides people to supervise the election counts the votes

A specified number of voters sign a petition in order for a candidate’s name to be placed on the ballot. Some states require that all candidates file petitions.

Every four years, each major party gathers during July or August in a national convention. Elected or appointed delegates representing the 50 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the District of Columbia attend the convention.