The presidential race is a contest between candidates from the two major political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. Each party’s members participate in primary and caucuses to determine who will be their candidate for president. The winner of the election is determined by how many electoral votes a candidate receives. The candidate who gets more than half of the electoral votes (270) is elected president and vice president.
As the campaign continues, polls fluctuate but in general front-runners’ leads tighten over time. In 10 of the 12 elections since 1948, the lead held by the front-runner in June has dwindled or even disappeared by election day. While conventional wisdom suggests that incumbency is a disadvantage, the record shows that it’s not: Five of the eight incumbents seeking reelection won and only three lost.
Unlike other countries, the United States chooses its president by an electoral college system. The 48 states award Electoral votes on a winner-takes-all basis, as do Washington D.C and other US territories. A candidate needs to win 270 electoral votes (a majority of the 538) to become president.
In 1992, Democratic candidate Bill Clinton beat Republican opponent George H. W. Bush largely because of a good economy and stable international situation and an effective campaign to cast his opponent, Republican Governor Bob Dole, as an out-of-touch elitist. Then he won a second term in 1996, also by a wide margin due to popular sympathy after the assassination of John F. Kennedy and by a strong campaign to tie his opponent, Republican Senator Bob Dole, on foreign policy issues.
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