Write 5 pages with APA style on Electing the United States President. Prior to this, however, the process of elimination was extensive. It was in fact during the electoral primaries and caucuses that the final three contenders for president were narrowed down. To better understand what takes place during the caucuses, it is helpful to know that the term caucus simply refers to a set of meetings that take place in order to discuss policies and protocols for varying political parties. The way in which caucuses are defined by today’s political climate in the United States government is separated into two definitions depending on the party.

After meeting eligibility requirements, filing the appropriate paperwork, and declaring their candidacy, candidates begin campaigning and preparing for caucuses (Times 1). The democratic party divides into subgroups under candidates that represent platform variations. This is essentially a preliminary process of elimination which serves to elect a Democratic candidate who represents the policies and standards of the majority. In the event that one or more of the candidates fails to achieve 15% or more of the support of the overall group of party members, the members under that candidate must be absorbed into another subgroup represented by one of the candidates who received more than 15% of the overall support. This effectively narrows down the candidates. The republican party holds its caucuses in a slightly different manner. In fact, the republican method of caucuses is simply the act of individuals within the party, aligning themselves under the candidate of their choice. It is integral to mention here that each state does not hold a caucus and also a primary. it is in fact one or the other depending on the state. As we can see, each and every step along the way is meant to further and further narrow down the field of candidates.

The caucuses and primaries are essentially designed to allow for each political party to narrow down their choice of candidate to one individual. It is the primaries, however, which are considered to be more official in that the voting process is structured in a more anonymous manner as opposed to the potential open forum provided in the caucuses.