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1

The Democratic

Republic

Free elections are the cornerstone of the American political system.

By casting ballots in local, state, and federal elections, voters choose one candidate over

another to hold political office. There are thousands of elective offices in the United

States—and consequently, thousands of elections. Although the major political parties

strive to provide a slate of candidates for every election, recruiting candidates is easier for

some offices than for others. Political parties may have difficulty finding candidates for the

board of the local water control district, for example, but they generally find a sufficient

number of candidates for county commissioner or sheriff. The higher the office and the

more prestige attached to it, the more candidates are likely to want to run. In many areas

of the country, however, one major party may be considerably stronger than the other is.

In those situations, the minority party may have difficulty finding nominees for elections

in which victory is unlikely.

8

Learning OutcOmes

The five Learning Outcomes (LOs) below are designed to help improve your

understanding of this chapter. After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

◾   LO1 Discuss who runs for office and how campaigns are

managed.

◾   LO2 Describe the current system of campaign finance.

◾   LO3 Summarize the process of choosing a president of

the United States.

Musician Jay-Z performs

at a Barack Obama

campaign event in Ohio

on the eve of the 2012

elections. Can celebrity

endorsements have

an effect on election

results? (Stephen

Albanese/Michael Ochs

Archives/Getty Images)

Campaigns

and Elections

◾   LO4 Explain the mechanisms through which voting

takes place on Election Day, and discuss voter turnout in the

United States.

◾   LO5 Provide some of the reasons why people vote in

particular ways.

Check your understanding of the material with the Test Yourself section at

the end of the chapter.

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