How to elect a us president

American politicians say that the way they elect their president is one of the most open and democratic processes in the world. But while the election race in some countries takes just a few weeks, US presidential candidates must have the stamina to undergo a political marathon.

The US Constitution specifies that a president must be elected every four years. Candidates wanting to go for the most powerful job in the world must be at least 35 years old and a US citizen born in the USA. Candidates may begin to campaign unofficially as early as one and a half to two years before the election takes place. They usually announce officially that they are running for President at least a year before National Election Day (which is always the first Tuesday after the first Monday in "November).

Potential candidates form an "exploratory committee'' to garner support from contributions. If they believe they have enough support, they inform federal sympathetic party followers and lobby donors for the vital campaign authorities that they are in the race and get on with serious fund raising and state-to-state campaigning for their party's nomination.

The Primaries

Between February and June of the election year, each political party has to decide on a candidate to represent it. The primary is the first step in choosing a party's presidential candidate. In most countries, the party picks the candidate. But in the US, voters who declare support for one party or another (i.e. registered Democrats and registered Republicans, for example) get to choose from the list of candidates.

To be listed on the primary election ballot a person must file a declaration of his candidacy with an official of the state government. Usually he must pay a filing fee. In some cases he must turn in a petition signed by voters who are in favor of him. The number of signers is set by law.

There may be as many as seven or eight people who would like to be the party nominee. The candidates, campaigning against other members of the same party, must win enough state primaries (primary elections) to give them a majority of delegates at the party convention in the summer. In addition to indicating the presidential candidate of their choice, voters elect a slate of delegates who will represent the state at the national party convention later in the year.

Some states use a caucus system rather than primaries to choose their delegates. Whereas in primaries people simply indicate at the ballot box which delegates they support, caucuses (the word derives from an Indian word for a gathering) are more complex and work by selecting delegates through a number of stages.

The first state to hold a primary vote is Iowa (it has the caucus system); the second is New Hampshire. The winners of those primaries, who get special attention from the media, then try to convince the voters of other states to join their supporters. Their opponents try to win whatever primary is next. By early summer there are only a few men left to compete, as those who lost one or more primaries gradually give up.

The Convention

The national party conventions are one of the great set pieces of American politics. After each state party has chosen its preferred candidate, these party conventions are held. The Democratic and Republican national conventions take place separately, in July or August. Each state arrives at the hall with its own delegates and banners declaring which presidential candidate it supports. By this stage, the party normally knows who has won. The delegates from each state formally choose their champion to go forward as presidential candidate. The candidate with the most delegates wins - and normally secures the support of party rivals. The winning candidate is officially nominated to run for the presidency; he becomes the nominee.

The nominee then chooses a vice-presidential running mate (person to campaign with him). The convention votes on his suggestion. Running mates are usually picked because they come from another part of the country than the nominee and/or they attract a different kind of voter.

The Campaign

The rival candidates square up for the presidential campaign proper. Policies are refined, often to take into account the supporters of the candidates who have been eliminated. This stage of the campaign is shorter than the slog through the state primaries (it takes place between August and early November). There is heavy spending on nationwide television publicity, and there are usually televised debates between the candidates. In the final weeks, the contenders typically concentrate their attention on the big so-called "swing states" as they battle it out for the critical Electoral College votes. The conclusion of the campaign is Election Day in November.

Election Day

As a rule, not many more than one-half of the adults in the USA actually vote. But the president is not elected directly by the voters. The US does not have a true "one-man-one-vote" system. Instead, according to the Constitution, the president actually must be chosen by the Electoral College. It is a group of electors from all states and the District of Columbia, who convene for balloting in December.

The number of Electoral College members in each state reflects the state's representation in Congress. The electors in all the states are chosen in a statewide election. In most states they are nominated in primary elections and listed on the ballot in the general presidential election. The party that wins the most votes in each state (except Maine) wins all of that state's Electoral College members. The other party gets none. Once a party (and hence its candidate) gets a majority of members from across the states, the election is over in the public's mind.

But in fact the Electoral College members do formally meet in their state capitals and vote for the president. It is expected that every elector will vote for the candidate chosen by his party's national convention. When the electors have voted, a copy of each state's results is sent by mail to the president of the US Senate. The state results are counted before the full Congress in January.

To become President a candidate must receive at least 270 votes, which constitutes a bare majority in the 538-member Electoral College. If no candidate gets a majority, then the House of Representatives must choose the President from among the three highest candidates. When the House meets, each state has only one vote.

The number of electors from each state, like the Representatives in Congress, is determined by population. But the population of a district can vary from under 450,000 to about 750,000; so not all districts are equally well represented in the Electoral College. In close elections it is possible for a candidate to receive the majority of popular votes but lose in the Electoral College.

The new President takes office on January 20 after the vote of the Electoral College. His term is for four years, and he may serve two terms if he can get re-elected four years later.

Language Focus

1. Translate the following into Russian:

1. Potential candidates form an "exploratory committee" to garner support from sympathetic party followers and lobby donors for the vital campaign contributions.

2. If they believe they have enough support, they inform federal authorities that they are in the race and get on with serious fund raising and state-to-state campaigning for their party's nomination.

3. The national party conventions are one of the great set pieces of American politics.

4. The delegates from each state formally choose their champion to go forward as presidential candidate. The candidate with the most delegates wins - and normally secures the support of party rivals.

5. The rival candidates square up for the presidential campaign proper. Policies are refined, often to take into account the supporters of the candidates who have been eliminated. This stage of the campaign is shorter than the slog through the state primaries.

6. In close elections it is possible for a candidate to receive the majority of popular votes but lose in the Electoral College.

2. Find in the text the English equivalents of the following:

Проводить первичные выборы; быть внесенным в избирательный бюллетень; представить заявление о кандидатуре властям штата; оплатить взнос для регистрации заявления о выставлении своей кандидатуры; представить петицию с подписями избирателей; список кандидатов; заручиться поддержкой соперников по партии; быть выдвинутым в качестве официального кандидата на пост президента; кандидат на пост вице-президента; получить большинство голосов избирателей; потерпеть поражение при голосовании в коллегии выборщиков; вступить в должность.

3. Explain the following:

1. In the final weeks, the contenders typically concentrate their attention on the big so-called "swing states" as they battle it out for the critical Electoral College votes.

2. The number of Electoral College members in each state reflects the state's representation in Congress.

3. Once a party (and hence its candidate) gets a majority of members from across the states, the election is over in the public's mind.

Discussion

Answer the following questions:

1. How are the President and Vice-President of the USA elected? What are the main stages of the presidential election campaign?

2. What is the significance of primaries and how are they ran?

3. What happens at national party conventions?

4. How do presidential candidates fight for swing voters?

5. What is the Electoral College? What is the number of the electors each state has? What is the total number of electors?

6. The electors' action is often viewed as a formality. Why?

7. Is it possible to become President with a minority of the popular vote? Why?

ELECTIONS

BASIC VOCABULARY.

Elections

Election Day

To run\stand for election

Campaign

Campaign trail

Campaigning\electioneering

Run-up to the election

Candidate\nominee\hopeful\rival\challenger\runner\contestant\contender\opponent

To call (fresh) elections

Rounds of voting

Gain\win a seat

Lose a seat

Electoral system

Constituency

reelect

Seeking nomination

Primary elections(primaries)

Nomination

To seek nomination

Delegate

Convention

Presidential bid\bid for the presidency

The campaign platform

Platform

Plank in the platform Manifesto

Cynical\blatant electioneering

Trailing or riding high?

Rating

Approval\popularity rating

To lead\to ride high

To trail behind

Points

Race

Favourite=front-runner To run neck and neck

Polls and pollsters

Opinion poll\opinion survey\exit poll\vox pop

To poll

Polling organization

A pollster

Accurate\reliable results\findings

Casting your ballot

A poll

To go to the polls To cast votes\ballots To cast 'yes'\no' ballot Electorate

High turnout

Abstain from voting\abstention Total vote Secret ballot Polling booths Ballot boxes

To give the right to vote\to enfranchise Irregularities Electoral fraud Results\returns of the elections Free and fair elections Massive\wide-spread vote-rigging To fix an election Breach election laws Election results To claim victory To admit\concede defeat

Categorical decisive\comfortable\devastating\convincing\heavy\crushing\ovemhelming margin landslide

ELECTIONS BASIC VOCABULARY