Party Convention

Written By Jonathan Milner

Definition

Political parties hold national conventions to select presidential and vice presidential nominees. To become the presidential nominee, a candidate typically has to win a majority of delegates. This usually happens through the party's state primaries and caucuses. Learn more about state presidential primaries and caucuses and how delegates are selected. State delegates go to the national convention to vote to confirm their choice of candidates. But if no candidate gets the majority of a party's delegates during the primaries and caucuses, convention delegates choose the nominee. This happens through additional rounds of voting. At the convention, the presidential nominee officially announces who will run with them for vice president.

Example

 
 

Questions

  1. What is a party convention?

  2. When are party conventions?

  3. Why do parties hold conventions?

  4. What is the most important thing that happens at a party convention? We usually know who the party candidate is before the convention so why do we have conventions anyway?

  5. What is the connection between a party platform and a party convention?

  6. What is the history of party conventions?

  7. Find an image or emoji that does a good job of conveying the meaning of party convention:

  8. Do Conventions do much to change the minds of voters from the other party?

Remember!

Now, let’s commit this term to our long-term memory. On a scrap piece of paper, take 10 or 20 seconds to draw party convention. Draw with symbols or stick figures if you wish. Nothing fancy. Don’t expect a masterpiece. No one else will see this but you. Look at your drawing. That’s all - now it’s downloaded into your memory. Destroy the piece of paper in a most delightful way.

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Jonathan Milner

Civics Maven!

https://www.gopopro.com/
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