The U.S. electorate, campaigns, and political parties.
Imagine that you’ve applied for an internship with your local Senator but there are many other people competing for the position. In order to determine the best person for the job, the Senator wants to determine how much each potential intern knows about the U.S. electoral system.
Create an 18- to 20-slide presentation to illustrate your knowledge about the U.S. electorate, campaigns, and political parties. Your presentation must include the following:
The purpose and functions of political parties in the United States
The various ways U.S. citizens can participate in the campaign and election process
The function and purpose of caucuses and primary elections in political campaigns, particularly in the presidential election process
The role the national political party conventions play in the presidential election process
The presidential general election campaign process, and the important factors and events that influence it
The role the media (TV, radio, internet, social media) plays in modern political campaigns
The role and influence of money in the modern political campaign
Include photos, illustrations, videos, or audio clips, as appropriate. Document the source of each media item you include in your presentation.
Sample Solution
The U.S. electorate, campaigns, and political parties
When the Founders of the American Republic drafted and ratified the U.S. Constitution, they did not envision a role for political parties. In spite of the Founders` intentions, the United States in 1800 became the first nation to develop nascent political parties organized on a national basis to accomplish the transfer of executive power from one faction to another via an election. The development and expansion of political parties that followed was closely linked to the broadening of voting rights. As the electorate expanded, the political parties evolved to mobilize the growing mass of voters as the means of political control. Political parties became institutionalized to accomplish this essential task. Thus, parties in America emerged as a part of democratic expansion, and, beginning in the 1830s, they became firmly established and powerful.
