AmericanPresidential

Election

Ⅰ.ParitesintheUnitedStates

Ⅱ.PresidentialElection2012

Ⅰ.

ParitesintheUnitedStatesTwomajorpoliticalparties:theDemocraticPartyandtheRepublicanParty.alsoseveralminorparties,usuallycalledthirdparties,whohavenotwonapresidentialelectionsince1864.MinorParties:

Independent

Libertarian

Constitution

GreenTheTwomainPartiesTheAmericanDemocraticPartyTheAmericanRepublicanParty

1.DemocraticParty

Foundedin1792byThomasJeffersonHistorically,thepartyhasfavored

farmers,laborers,laborunions,andreligiousandethnicminorities.Inthe1930s,thepartybeganadvocatingwelfarespendingprogramstargeted

atthepoor.

FranklinDelanoRoosevelt,JohnF.Kennedy,BillClinton,ObamaBack2.RepublicanPartyFoundedinthe1854byagroupofWhigs（輝格黨）andFreeSoilDemocrats.ThenamewaschosentoshowtieswithThomasJefferson’sDemocratic-RepublicanParty(whichevolvedintoDemocraticpartyunderAndrewJackson,7thpresident).Thekeyissueatthetimewasoppositiontothespreadofslaveryintothewesternterritories.AbrahamLincoln,DwightD.Eisenhower,RichardNixon,GeorgeW.Bush

BackⅡ.

PresidentialElection2012the57th

quadrennialPresidentialElection.DemocratPresidentBarackObamawithVicePresidentJosephBiden

defeatedtheRepublican

nominee,former

MassachusettsGovernor

MittRomney,andhisrunningmate,

Representative

PaulRyan

of

Wisconsin.TheStepstotheWhiteHouse

DeclaringCandidacy

CampaigningPrimariesandCaucusesfornomination（初選與核心會議）Partyconventions

政黨大會5.NationalCongressannouncingpresidentialnomination6.Theelectioncampaign 競選活動 7.theelectionday大選日:generalvote8.theelectoralcollegevote

（選舉團投票）9.presidentialinauguration（總統就職）1.DeclaringCandidacy：candidatesannouncingtheirplans

Itmarksthestartoftheofficialcampaign.…alotoflectures,speeches,discussions…avotewillbegin.

Thenominationcompetitionisthefirstcompetition.Atthistime,candidatescompetewithothercandidatesoftheirparty,forgettingthepartynomination.

2.Campaigning:candidateswinsupportdebateHillary’sSpeechRunninginthe2008Democraticpresidentialprimaries,HillaryClintonwonfarmoreprimariesanddelegatesthananyotherfemalecandidateinAmericanhistory,butnarrowlylostthenominationtoU.S.Senator

BarackObama,whowentontowinthenationalelection.

3.primariesandcaucusesforNomination:

TochoosethecandidateofthepartyforgeneralelectionThewinnerisdesignatedthepresumptive(可能的，假定的)nomineeuntilheorsheisformallynominated.RepublicanCandidateswhoenteredtheracefortheRepublicanpresidentialnomination(2012)

MassachusettsGovernorsMittRomneyRickSantorum

formerU.S.Senatorfrom

Pennsylvania

RonPaul,U.S.Representativefrom

TexasNewtGingrich,formerU.S.SpeakeroftheHouseofRepresentativesfrom

GeorgiaOnApril10,Santorumsuspendedhiscampaignduetoavarietyofreasons,suchasalowdelegatecount,unfavorablepollsinhishomestateofPennsylvania,andhisdaughter'shealth,leavingMittRomneyastheundisputedfront-runnerforthepresidentialnominationandallowingGingrichtoclaimthathewas"thelastconservativestanding"inthecampaignforthenomination.

AfterdisappointingresultsintheApril24primaries,GingrichdroppedoutonMay2inamovethatwasseenasaneffectiveendtothenominationcontest.

AfterGingrich'sspokesmanannouncedhisupcomingwithdrawal,the

RepublicanNationalCommittee

declaredRomneytheparty's

presumptivenominee.

RonPaulofficiallyremainedintherace,buthestoppedcampaigningonMay14inordertofocusonstateconventionsinstead.

4).Partyconventions(2012)apresidentialnominatingconventionwhereitadopteditsnationalplatform(政綱)andofficiallynominateditscandidatesforPresidentandVicePresident.The2012RepublicanNationalConventionwasheldinTampa,FloridatheweekofAugust27th.

The2012DemocraticNationalConventiontookplaceinCharlotte,NorthCarolinafromSeptember3to6.Note：Afterthepresidentialcandidateischosen,heisallowedtochoosehisrunningmate.Aftertheconvention,thewholepartywillhelpitscandidateruntheelectionalloverthecountry.4)NationalCongressannouncedpresidentialnominationAfiercecompetitionwillbegin!PresidentObamavs.GovernorRomney2012Candidateschosen…nowwhat?Thegameofcampaigningbegins!Thegoal:score270/538electoralvotes!!2704).ElectionCampaignTheelectioncampaignisconductedfromSeptembertoNovember.Thepresidentialcandidatestravelalloverthecountry,tryingtowinsupport.Theracefeaturesbombardment(轟炸)onmassmediaandwhistle-stoptours(在小鎮短暫停留的訪問旅行).Thecandidatesdelivercountless

speechesandshakecountlesshandswithvoters.4DebatesDebates:Fourdebates(2012)

1.Firstpresidentialdebate

(domesticpolicy)

Wednesday,October3;

MagnessArena,

UniversityofDenver,

Denver,

ColoradoModerator:

JimLehrer2.Vicepresidential(domesticandforeignpolicy)

Secondpresidentialdebate(townhall

format)

4.Thirdpresidentialdebate(foreignpolicy)TheFirstPresidentialDebatebetweenObamaandRomney5)TheElectionday

：generalelection

Onthe1stTuesdayafterthe1stMondayinNovemberinanelectionyear,voterscastballots.Thevotersdon’tdirectlychoosethepresidentandvicepresident.Theychoosetheelectorsonthedayofthegeneralelection.

Theelectorswillvoteforthecandidateoftheirownparty.Resultsofthepopularvotes2012PresidentialticketPartyBallotaccess

%ofvotersseeingnameonballotVotesObama/BidenDemocratic50+DC100%65,910,437Romney/RyanRepublican50+DC100%60,932,795Johnson/GrayLibertarian48+DC95.1%1,275,951Stein/HonkalaGreen36+DC83.1%469,583Goode/ClymerConstitution2649.9%122,001Anderson/RodriguezJustice1528.1%43,011Lindsay/OsorioSocialism&Liberation1328.6%9,4036)TheElectoralCollegeVoteBack

ThepresidentialelectorsmeetintheirstatecapitalsandcasttheirvotesforPresidentandVicePresidentonthe1stMon.afterthe2ndWed.inDec.（Cal.

55，Alaska3）winner-takes-all:

Thecandidatewiththemostpopularvotesinastatewinsallofthestates’electoralvotes.Forexample,all55ofCalifornia'selectoralvotesgotothewinnerofthatStateelection,evenifthemarginofvictoryisonly50.1percentto49.9percent.25PartyVoterbaseStatesObamaRomneyObamaRomneyColo.48.8%47.3%90Fla.50.01%49.13%290Iowa48.7%46.3%60Nev.50.2%47.4%60N.H.49.9%47.9%40N.C.46.2%49.2%015Ohio50.0%47.1%180Va.48.0%47.7%130Wis.50.4%46.2%100Swing-StateVotes9515Leaning/LikelyStateVotes237191TotalOverallVotes332206SwingStateInpresidential

politicsoftheUnitedStates,aswingstateisastateinwhichnosinglecandidateorpartyhasoverwhelmingsupportinsecuringthatstate'selectoralcollegevotes.Suchstatesaretargetsofbothmajorpoliticalpartiesinpresidentialelections,sincewinningthesestatesisthebestopportunityforapartytogainelectoralvotes.Non-swingstatesaresometimescalledsafestates,becauseonecandidatehasstrongenoughsupportthatheorshecansafelyassumethatheorshewillwinthestate'svotes.OfficialdecisionisconfirmedOnJanuary6,theelectoralvotesareformallycountedinajointsessionofthetwoHousesandthePresidentoftheSenateannouncesthefinalresult.

Ifnocandidateforpresidentreceivesamajority–theLowerHousechoosesthepresidentfromthetopthreecandidates.Ifnovice-presidentialcandidatereceivesamajority–Senatechoosesfromthetoptwo.8)PresidentialInauguration就職典禮

January20,byholdingtheformalinauguration,thePresidenttakesoffice.Hetookthepresidentialdeclaration:“Isolemnlyswear:IwillfaithfullyimplementthedutiesofthePresidentoftheUnitedStatesofAmericaandwilldomybesttouphold,protectanddefendtheConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.“Back

TheInauguralSpeechofObama

FAQS

WhoselectstheElectors?

TheprocessforselectingelectorsvariesthroughouttheUnitedStates.Generally,thepoliticalpartiesnominateelectorsattheirStatepartyconventionsorbyavoteoftheparty'scentralcommitteeineachState.

ThenumberoftheElectoralCollegemembersineachstateisequaltothatofitssenatorsandrepresentativesinCongress.

Therearenow538

presidentialelectors,535from50states,3fromWashingtonD.C.

Moreonthetopic:“BattlegroundStates”Also“swingstates”Statesthatarestill“undecided”inwhoislikelytocapt