Presidential Selection: The Framers’ Plan

1. Chapter 13 Section 3 Presidential Selection: The Framers’ Plan

2. Original Provisions • Original arguments favored selection by Congress • What potential problems? • Popular vote was not considered efficient in a time of slow transmission of information

3. Original Provisions • Instead went with plan proposed by Hamilton • President and Vice President selected by a special body of Presidential electors • Each would cast two electoral votes, each for a different candidate. • most votes wins • Second place becomes vice president

4. The Electoral College, is the group of people (electors) chosen from each State and the District of Columbia to formally select the President and the Vice President. Flaws in this original system became evident starting with the 1796 election coinciding with the rise in political parties Would completely breakdown by 1800 election The Rise of Parties

5. The Rise of Parties • 1800 election parties nominate candidates, and electors • Electors all vote for Jefferson and Burr, resulting in a tie, took House of Representatives 36 votes to choose Jefferson • Electors no longer free agents, their vote known earlier

6. The Rise of Parties • 12th Amendment results from 1800 election • It separates the presidential and vice presidential elections.

7. Chapter 13 Section 4 Presidential Nominations

8. The Role of Conventions • Practice built almost entirely by the two parties • Is a tradition / custom, not law • Chicago most popular city to host conventions

9. The Role of Conventions • The Apportionment of Delegates • Each state is given a certain number of representatives based on their electoral votes • Sometimes states are awarded bonus delegates for recent party support

10. The Role of Conventions • Selection of Delegates • Essentially presidents must win two elections, the general election, and their own party election • State laws and party rules control how delegates chosen • Republicans leaves it to state law and organizations • Democrats have several national rules to govern process

11. Presidential Primaries • Choose some or all of their delegates to national convention • Also express a preference for presidential nomination

12. Presidential Primaries • Hard to describe because they differ from state to state • Also ongoing Democrat reform since 1968 trying to encourage grassroots participation • New Hampshire always holds first primary • Frontloaded and expensive

13. Presidential Primaries • Proportional Representation • Most were winner-take-all, means if they win that states primary, they win the support of all the delegates from that party • Now that style has disappeared

14. Presidential Primaries Democrats, any candidate who receives 15% vote gets that percentage of the state’s delegates Republicans still hold winner take all where they can ½ of all presidential primary states hold only preference election

15. The National Convention • Three main goals • Name presidential and VP nominees • Bring together leaders and personalities for one common purpose • Adopt the party’s platform, its formal statement of basic principles, stands on major policy matters, and objectives for the campaign and beyond

16. The National Convention • First two days • Keynote address speech given by party’s most accomplished orators • Rules to guide convention decided as well • Presentation of platform • Last two days • Third day is nomination • Then delegates vote for confirmation • VP choice is confirmed as well • Acceptance speech

17. Who is Nominated? • Incumbent almost always gets nomination • Those with broadest possible appeal • Many governors and senators, large states • Most Protestant

18. Who is Nominated? • TV brought about the pretty president / family • Good speakers • Not often a women or a minority….OLD NEWS!