Presidential Elections

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Although in more modern history it may seem like electoral votes are already set in stone, that is not always true. In fact, there are various factors that contribute to the overall outcome of both the nomination of a candidate, and subsequently, the presidential election. Furthermore, in a presidential campaign, candidates must maintain awareness about state primaries and caucuses (“Presidential Campaigns”). Both state primaries and caucuses are a means of choosing their presidential nominees, however the process of selection varies from state to state and within each party. These nominees will then go on to represent their party in the national convention (“Caucasus” p. 1). However, before anything else, to even be considered as a potential …show more content…
For instance, according to a web page sponsored by the Federal Election Commission, while a whole union is not allowed to donate any money directly to a candidate or national party committee, an individual can give up to $2,700 to a specific candidate per election, or $33,400 to a national party committee (“Contribution Limits”). Laws like these were created in order to limit the disproportionate influence of wealthy individuals, aid in regulating federal campaign spending and protect against dishonesty concerning campaign finances(“Introduction”). Therefore, to succeed in a presidential election, a candidate must skillfully balance how much money they accept from certain sources in order to maintain the legality and eligibility of their campaign. Furthermore, a candidate who is funded mainly by larger sources such as super pacs which Beth Rowen describes as “...independent political committees that support a candidate with unlimited, often anonymous, donations from companies, unions, or individuals a technicality in the disclosure rules allows donors to remain anonymous for months.”(Rowen par. 2), are unlikely to gain gain much favor with individual voters. According to a web page sponsored by Brennan Center for Justice, a poll conducted by the independent Opinion Research Corporation found that 26% of americans stated a lack of inclination to vote due to the amount of influence large donors like super PACs have on elected officials and that an additional 65% stated large they have less trust in the government due to the influence of super pacs and other large donors (“Poll: Super PAC’s” par.

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