How%20to%20become%20President%20of%20the%20United%20States

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How to become President of the United States

• The road to the white house

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What are five things you would look for in a
president?

• Education?
• Military experience?
• Age?
• Gender?
• Religion?
• Character?
• Previous government experience?
• Personality?
• Marital Status?
• Criminal history?

What else would be important to you?
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What does the Constitution say about who can be
president?
The President must be
Do you agree with the Constitutional
qualifications?
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Step 1 Primaries and Caucuses
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How to become President of the United States
People with similar ideas group together and form
political parties
There are many people who have their own ideas
about how government should work.

• STEP 1
• Primaries and Caucuses

What are the two main political parties in the
United States today?
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How to become President of the United States
Candidates from each party campaign to gain
leadership within their own party.
STEP 1 Primaries and Caucuses
Multiple people from each party may decide they
want to be the candidate. This is where
primaries and caucuses come in.
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How to become President of the United States
Most states hold a primary, in which voters cast
secret ballots for the best candidate that will
represent the party in the general election.
STEP 1 Primaries and Caucuses
Click HERE to read more about primaries.
This is where voters can cast their vote to
determine who will represent each party.
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How to become President of the United States
In some states, a caucus is held to select the
best candidate from each party through
discussions and open votes.
STEP 1 Primaries and Caucuses
Click HERE to read more about caucuses.
Which states hold caucuses? Alaska, Colorado,
Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, North
Dakota, Wyoming and Iowa
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Step 2 National Conventions
Now its time to officially decide who will be
the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate
for each party.
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How to become President of the United States
Each party holds a national convention to select
a final presidential nominee.
STEP 2 National Conventions
Photo from http//i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/
09/06/151392934_480x360.jpg
Photo from http//i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/
08/30/151014951_480x360.jpg
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How to become President of the United States
At the convention, the Presidential candidate
announces a running mate (Vice Presidential
Candidate).
STEP 2 National Conventions
Photo from http//www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ez
ra-klein/files/2012/08/wonk0831.jpg
Photo from http//media.npr.org/assets/img/2012/0
9/07/bidenobama-fdc1cd7ef8ae88d3fffb9cae1f3fb6c1e8
977604-s3.jpg
What do you think a Presidential candidate is
looking for in a Vice President?
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Step 3 Campaigns
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How to become President of the United States
The Presidential candidates campaign throughout
the country to win the support of the general
population.
STEP 3 Campaigning
What do you think about the campaign ads you have
seen?
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Step 4 General Election
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How to become President of the United States
People in every state across the country vote for
a President and Vice President. When people
cast their vote, they are actually voting for a
group of people known as electors who are part of
the process called the Electoral College .
STEP 4 General Election
What is the Electoral College? Who are electors?
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Step 5 Electoral College
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How to become President of the United States
In the Electoral College system, each state gets
a certain number of electors based on its
representation in Congress.
STEP 5 Electoral College
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The Electoral College
In Florida, electors are nominated by their
political party and approved by the Governor.
Because Florida has 29 electoral votes, each
party (Democrat and Republican) is allowed to
appoint 29 electors.
The Electoral College is a system where 538
electors cast votes to decide who will be the
President and Vice President.
Why 538?
Why 29?
This is the total of the members of the U.S.
H.O.R., the U.S. Senate, and three votes for
the District of Columbia.
Florida has 27 Congressional Districts (FL gained
two districts due to a population increase) and 2
Senators.for a total of 29.
435 100 3 538
Public Law 62-5 says that 435 will be the number
in the House of Representatives. This number does
not change, rather other states lose seats as
states gain seats in the House.
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The Electoral College
Whichever candidate receives the popular
(majority) vote in a state (gt50), wins the
electoral votes.
For example, in Florida
Candidate A
Candidate B
29 Electors
29 Electors
If candidate B wins more than 50 of the popular
vote, their 29 electors get to cast their votes
for that Candidate. Candidate A loses the race
for that state.
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How to become President of the United States
Each elector casts one vote following the general
election, and the candidate who gets more than
half (270 of 538) wins.
STEP 5 Electoral College
Florida has 29 electoral votes.
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AND THE WINNER IS

• The newly elected President and Vice President
  are inaugurated (sworn into office) in January.

Note Inauguration Day by law is January 20th.
However, since the 20th is a Sunday, a private
ceremony will be held on January 20th, with a
public inauguration taking place on January 21st,
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What Do you Think?

• Comparing Electoral College models
• Which is better?

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Which Model is better?

• Winner Take All

• The District system

• More than 50 of the popular vote wins ALL of the
  elector votes
• 48 of the states use this system

• One electoral vote is awarded to each candidate
  winning the popular vote in each congressional
  district
• The two remaining votes are awarded to the
  candidates with the most votes statewide
• Maine and Nebraska use this system

Remember, the number of electors are based on
the number of members in the United States House
of Representatives (who represent congressional
districts within a state) and two U.S.
Senators.
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Sources

• http//magazines.scholastic.com/Election-2012/faqs
  -primary
• http//kids.usa.gov/president/index.shtml
• http//www.factcheck.org/2008/04/caucus-vs-primary
  /