Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator Barack Obama are campaigning to become the 44th U.S. president. The general election, November 4, 2008, comes after more than a year of primary elections, where the two men competed within their own parties to become the 2008 presidential candidates. The vice-presidential candidates, Sarah Palin (R) and Joe Biden (D) were then chosen, making up the two main "tickets' in the election campaign.
The United States system of government differs greatly from Canada's, which follows the British parliamentary structure. It is basically a two-party system based on the doctrine of separation of powers. Here is a guide to how it works:
How is the United States federal government set up?
The federal government of the United States is split into three branches: the Legislature or Congress (House of Representatives and Senate), Executive (President and Vice-President), and Judiciary (Supreme Court).
The branches work together through a system of "checks and balances" so that no branch exercises unrestricted power.
The seat of the federal government is in Washington, D.C., which is outside of any state jurisdiction.
How is Congress set up?
Congress is composed of two houses:
- The House of Representatives is made up of 435 members. It is elected every two years from specific districts across the country. This is similar to Canada's system of ridings where an MP represents a geographic area of the country.
- The second house is the Senate which is made up of 100 senators. Each state is represented by two Senators which are elected every six years.
What are the requirements for running for elected office in the United States?
A candidate for president of the United States must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years old, and have been a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.
A vice-president must meet the same qualifications. Under the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, the vice-president cannot be from the same state as the president.
U.S. House of Representatives candidates must be at least 25 years old, have been U.S. citizens for seven years and be legal residents of the state in which they seek election.
U.S. Senate candidates must be at least 30 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for nine years, and be legal residents of the state in which they seek election.
When are general elections held?
They are held on the first Tuesday of November. The 2008 general election will be held on November 4.
For much of U.S. history, America was a predominantly agrarian society. Lawmakers considered their convenience when choosing a November date for elections - after harvest time but before winter weather made travel difficult - as the easiest month for farmers and rural workers to go to the polls.
Because many rural residents lived a significant distance from the polls, Tuesday, rather than Monday, was selected to allow those who attended Sunday church services to begin travel after worship and still reach their destinations in time to cast their votes.
Lawmakers wanted to prevent Election Day from falling on the first of November for two reasons. First, November 1 is All Saints Day, a day on which Roman Catholics are obligated to attend Mass. Also, merchants typically balanced the accounts from the preceding month on the first of each month.
When are primary elections held?
State and local governments determine the dates on which primary elections or caucuses are held. These dates, and the amount of time between a primary and general election, significantly influence how early candidates begin campaigning and the choices they make about how and when campaign funds are spent.
The right of holding the first primary election is subject to much debate because victories in early primaries can influence the outcome of later ones. Historically New Hampshire holds the first primary, however in the case of this election they began in Iowa. The results of the Democratic Michigan and Florida primaries were discounted because they attempted to move their dates ahead. At the last minute, they were added to ensure the views of all the states were represented.
Super delegates are generally high ranking party officials such as congressmen and governors. Their presence in the primary process has a considerable amount of influence on who is nominated.
What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is the group of citizens designated by each state to vote for the president and vice-president on behalf of citizens. The candidate that wins the majority of the votes in any given state is given all the electoral votes from that state. The Electoral College, not the popular vote, elects the president, but the two votes are loosely connected.
What is the voter turnout in the United States?
Voter turnout was approximately 41 per cent of eligible voters in 2006 and 61 per cent in 2004. Turnout tends to be higher in general elections than in primary elections.
What are the two main political parties?
Democratic Party
The Democratic Party is the oldest political party in the United States.
Broken off from the Democratic-Republicans party in 1912, it positions itself left of the Republican Party in economic and social matters.
It has been historically influenced by a) the economically left-leaning activist philosophy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and b) the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
At the time of the last election, in 2004, it was the largest political party with 72 million voters claiming affiliation.
Since the 2006 midterm elections, the Democratic Party is the majority party in Congress.
Republican Party
The Republican Party is often referred to as the Grand Old Party or the GOP.
Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers, the Republican Party rose to prominence with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president.
Today, the Republican Party supports a conservative platform. It is currently the second largest party with 55 million registered members.
Republicans currently fill a minority of congressional seats.
Source: America.gov
