Speeches by important party figures are key features of the convention; here, former President Jimmy Carter addresses the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

A U.S. presidential nominating convention is held every four years in the United States by the political parties who will be fielding nominees in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. The formal purpose of the convention is to select the party's nominee for President, as well as to adopt a statement of party principles and goals known as the platform and adopt the rules for the party's activities, including the presidential nominating process for the next election cycle. Due to changes in election laws and the manner in which political campaigns are run, conventions since the last quarter of the 20th century have virtually abdicated their original roles, and are today mostly ceremonial affairs. This work is copyrighted. ... This work is copyrighted. ... James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. ... 2004 Democratic National Convention logo The 2004 Democratic National Convention culminated in the arrival of John Kerry on July 29 to address the delegates. ... A political party is a political organization that subscribes to a certain ideology and seeks to attain political power within a government. ... United States presidential elections determine who serves as President and Vice President of the United States for four-year terms, starting on Inauguration Day (January 20th of the year after the election). ... The President of the United States (unofficially abbreviated POTUS) is the head of state of the United States. ... A party platform, also known as an manifesto is a list of the principles which a political party supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said partys candidates voted into office. ... Election law is a discipline falling at the juncture of constitutional law and political science. ... A political campaign is an organized effort to influence the decision making process within a group. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

The two major conventions are the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention. This article provides an overview of the major party conventions; however, some minor parties also select their nominees by convention, including the Green Party, Libertarian Party, Constitution Party, and Reform Party USA. Featured at the Democratic National Convention are speeches by prominent party figures. ... The Republican National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the United States Republican Party, is held every four years to determine the partys candidate for the coming Presidential election and the partys platform. ... In United States politics, the Green Party has been active as a third party since the 1980s. ... The Libertarian Party is a United States political party created in 1971. ... The Constitution Party is a conservative third party in the United States, founded as the U.S. Taxpayers Party in 1992. ... The Reform Party of the United States of America (abbreviated Reform Party USA or RPUSA) is a political party in the United States, founded by Ross Perot in 1995 under the belief that Americans were disillusioned with the state of politics--as being corrupt and unable to deal with vital...

Logistics

Calendar

From the viewpoint of the parties, the convention cycle begins with the Call to Convention. Usually issued about 18 months in advance, the Call is an invitation from the national party to the state and territory parties to convene to select a presidential nominee. It also sets out the number of delegates to be awarded to each, as well as the rules for the nomination process.

Since 1932, the party out of power has convened first. Since 1952, all major party conventions have been held in the months of July or August. In recent years, conventions are typically scheduled about one month apart, each with four days of business scheduled. 1932 (MCMXXXII) is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Participation

Each party sets its own rules for the participation and format of the convention. Broadly speaking, each U.S. state and territory party is apportioned a select number of voting representatives, individually known as delegates and collectively as the delegation. Each party uses its own formula for determining the size of each delegation, factoring in such considerations as population, proportion of that state's Congressional representatives or state government officials who are members of the party, and the state's voting patterns in previous presidential elections. The selection of individual delegates and their alternates, too, is governed by the bylaws of each state party, or in some cases by state law. A U.S. state is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, together with the District of Columbia and Palmyra Atoll (an uninhabited incorporated unorganized territory), form the United States of America. ... An insular area is United States territory that is neither a part of one of the fifty states nor a part of the District of Columbia, the nations federal district. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ...

The 2004 Democratic National Convention counted 4,353 delegates and 611 alternates. The 2004 Republican National Convention had 2,509 delegates and 2,344 alternates. But these individuals are dwarfed by other attendees who do not participate in the formal business of the convention. These include non-delegate party officials and activists, invited guests and companions, and international observers, not to mention numerous members of the news media, volunteers, and protesters, and local business proprietors and promoters hoping to capitalize on the quadrennial event. 2004 Democratic National Convention logo The 2004 Democratic National Convention culminated in the arrival of John Kerry on July 29 to address the delegates. ... 2004 Republican National Convention Logo President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney accepted their partys nomination to run for second terms. ... News media satellite up-link trucks and photojournalists gathered outside the Prudential Financial headquarters in Newark, New Jersey in August, 2004 following the announcement of evidence of a terrorist threat to it and to buildings in New York City. ... Demonstrators march in the street while protesting the World Bank and International Monetary Fund on April 16, 2005. ...

Host city

The convention is typically held in a major city selected by the national party organization 18–24 months before it is to be held. As the two major conventions have grown into large, publicized affairs with significant economic impact, cities today compete vigorously to be awarded host responsibilities, citing their meeting venues, lodging facilities, and entertainment as well as offering economic incentives. Melbourne, Australia by night For alternate meanings see city (disambiguation) A city is an urban area, differentiated from a town, village, or hamlet by size, population density, importance, or legal status. ...

The location of early conventions was dictated by the difficulty of transporting delegates from far-flung parts of the country; early Democratic and Whig Conventions were frequently held in the central Eastern Seaboard port of Baltimore, Maryland. As the U.S. expanded westward and railroads connected cities, Midwestern cities such as Chicago, Illinois became the favored hosts. In the present day, political symbolism affects the selection of the host city as much as economic or logistical ones do. A particular city might be selected to enhance the standing of a native son, or in an effort to curry favor with residents of that state. Categories: US geography stubs ... Baltimore skyline at dusk Motto: The Greatest City in America (formerly The City That Reads; BELIEVE is not the official motto but rather a specific campaign) Nickname: Charm City Mob Town B-more Location in Maryland Founded Incorporated 30 July 1729 1797  County Independent city Mayor Martin J. OMalley... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... The Midwest is a common name for a region of the United States of America. ... ... Native Son book cover Native Son (ISBN 0060809779) is a novel by Richard Wright, first published in 1940. ...

Proceedings

During the day, party activists hold meetings and rallies, and work on the platform. Voting and important convention-wide addresses usually take place in the evening hours.

In recent conventions, routine business such as examining the credentials of delegations, ratifying rules, and procedures, and adoption of the platform usually take up the business of the first two days of the convention. Balloting is usually held on the third day, with the nomination and acceptance made on the last day.

Platform

Each convention produces a statement of principles known as its platform, containing goals and proposals known as planks. Relatively little of a party platform is even proposed as public policy. Much of the language is generic, while other sections are narrowly written to appeal to factions or interest groups within the party. Unlike electoral manifestos in many European countries, the platform is not binding on either the party or the candidate. A political platform is a list of the principles which a political party supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said partys candidates voted into office. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ...

Because it is ideological rather than pragmatic, however, the platform is sometimes itself politicized. For example, defenders of abortion rights lobbied heavily to remove the Human Life Amendment plank from the 1996 Republican platform, a move fiercely resisted by conservatives despite the fact that no such amendment had ever come up for debate. A Human Life Amendment is any amendment to the U.S. Constitution intended to overturn Roe v. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Conservatism is any of a number of political philosophies supporting traditional values or an established social order. ...

Voting

Since the 1970s, voting has for the most part been perfunctory; the selection of the nominee has rarely been in doubt, so a single ballot has almost always been sufficient. Each delegation announces its vote tallies, usually accompanied with some boosterism of their state or territory. The delegation may pass, nominally to retally their delegates' preferences, but often to allow a different delegation to give the leading candidate the honor of casting the majority-making vote. The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ... Boosterism is the act of boosting or otherwise promoting ones city or organization, with the goal of improving the overall quality of the city or organization, as well as its public perception. ...

Speeches

Minor party figures are given the opportunity to address the floor of the convention during the daytime, when only the small audiences of C-SPAN and other cable television outlets are watching. Evenings speeches—designed for broadcast to a large national audience—are reserved for major speeches by notable, respected public figures; the speakers at the 2004 Democratic convention included Ted Kennedy, a forty-year veteran of the United States Senate and notable liberal, and Jimmy Carter, a former Democratic president, while at the Republican convention speakers included Arnold Schwarzenegger and George Pataki, nationally-known governors of major states. C-SPAN (the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) is an American cable television network dedicated to airing non-stop coverage of government proceedings and public affairs programming. ... Coaxial cable is often used to transmit cable television into the house Cable television or Community Antenna Television (CATV) (often shortened to cable) is a system of providing television, FM radio programming and other services to consumers via radio frequency si sdfsdfBold textsdfsItalic textddd Bold textgnals transmitted directly to people... Edward Moore Kennedy (born February 22, 1932) is the senior U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, having served since 1963. ... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. ... The Democratic Party, founded in 1792, is the longest-standing political party in the world. ... The President of the United States (unofficially abbreviated POTUS) is the head of state of the United States. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947 in Thal, Styria, Austria) is an Austrian actor, Republican politician, and bodybuilder, currently serving as the 38th Governor of California. ... George E. Pataki George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is the current Governor of New York State (since January 1995). ...

The organizers of the convention may designate one of these speeches as the keynote address, one which above all others is stated to underscore the convention's themes or political goals. For instance, the 1992 Democratic National Convention keynote address was delivered by Georgia Governor Zell Miller, whose stories of an impoverished childhood echoed the economic themes of the nominee, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton. The 1996 Republican National Convention was keynoted by U.S. Representative Susan Molinari of New York, intended to reassure political moderates about the centrism of the nominee, former Senator Bob Dole. A keynote in literature, music or public speaking is the principal underlying theme of a larger idea — a literary story, an individual musical piece or event. ... The 1992 Democratic National Convention is one of a series of historic quadrennial meetings of the United States Democratic Party with a primary focus on officially nominating a candidate for the office of President of the United States and adopting a political party platform as a challenge to the platform... This is a list of Governors of the state of Georgia, including governors of the British colony of Georgia. ... Zell Bryan Miller (born February 24, 1932) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. ... This is a list of governors of Arkansas. ... William Jefferson Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe, III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. ... The 1996 Republican National Convention convened at the San Diego Convention Center (SDCC) in San Diego, California from August 12 to August 15. ... Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Congress of the United States, the other being the Senate. ... Categories: Stub | 1958 births ... Robert Joseph Dole (born July 22, 1923) is best known as a former Republican United States Senate Majority Leader and Senator from Kansas from 1969-1996. ...

The final day of the convention usually features the formal acceptance speeches from the nominees for President and Vice President. Despite the recent controversy, the acceptance speech has always been televised by the networks, because it receives the highest ratings of the convention. Richard B. Cheney, 46th and current Vice President of the United States The Vice President of the United States is the second-highest executive official of the United States government, the person who, in the words of Adlai Stevenson, is a heartbeat from the presidency. ...

History

In the early 19th century, members of Congress met within their party caucuses to select their party's nominee. Conflicts between the interests of the Eastern Congressional class and citizens in newer Western states led to the hotly contested 1824 election, in which factions of the Democratic-Republican Party rejected the caucus nominee, William H. Crawford of Georgia, and backed John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and Andrew Jackson instead. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... The Democratic-Republican Party is the label given by historians to one of the first two American political parties. ... Portrait of U.S. politician William H. Crawford William Harris Crawford (February 24, 1772 – September 15, 1834) was an important American politician during the early 19th century. ... John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was the sixth (1825-1829) President of the United States. ... Henry Clay Henry Clay (April 12, 1777 in Hanover County, Virginia – June 29, 1852 in Washington, D.C.) was an American statesman and orator who served in both the House of Representatives and Senate. ... Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845), one of the founders of the Democratic Party, was the seventh President of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. ...

In 1831 the Anti-Masonic Party convened in Baltimore, Maryland to select a single presidential candidate agreeable to the whole party leadership in the 1832 presidential election. The Democratic Party and Whig Party soon followed suit. 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Anti-Masonic Party (also known as the Anti-Masonic Movement) was a 19th century minor political party in the United States. ... Baltimore skyline at dusk Motto: The Greatest City in America (formerly The City That Reads; BELIEVE is not the official motto but rather a specific campaign) Nickname: Charm City Mob Town B-more Location in Maryland Founded Incorporated 30 July 1729 1797  County Independent city Mayor Martin J. OMalley... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... Whig Party banner from 1848 with candidates Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore. ...

Conventions were often heated affairs, playing a vital role in deciding who would be the nominee. The process remained far from democratic or transparent, however. The party convention was a scene of intrigue among political bosses, who appointed and otherwise controlled nearly all of the delegates. Winning a nomination involved intensive negotiations and multiple votes; the 1924 Democratic National Convention required a record 103 ballots to nominate John W. Davis. The term dark horse candidate was coined at the 1920 Republican National Convention, at which little-known Ohio Senator Warren G. Harding emerged as the candidate. In the physical sciences, specifically in optics, a transparent physical object is one that can be seen through. ... 1869 tobacco label featuring Boss Tweed A boss, in political science, is a person who wields de facto power over a particular political region or constituency. ... The 1924 Democratic National Convention, also called the Klanbake was held at the Madison Square Garden in New York City from June 24 to July 9, took a record 103 ballots to nominate a presidential candidate. ... John William Davis John William Davis (April 13, 1873 — March 24, 1955) was an American politician and lawyer. ... A dark horse candidate is one who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice. ... The 1920 Republican National Convention nominated Ohio Senator Warren G. Harding for United States President and Massachusetts Governor Calvin Coolidge for United States Vice President. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Official languages None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Governor Bob Taft (R) Senators Mike DeWine (R) George V. Voinovich (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 34th 116,096 km² 8. ... Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was an American politician and the 29th President of the United States, serving from 1921 to 1923, when he became the sixth president to die in office. ...

A few, mostly Western states adopted primary elections in the late 19th century and during the Progressive Era, but the catalyst for its widespread adoption came during the election of 1968. The Vietnam War energized a large number of supporters of anti-war Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota, but they had no say in the matter. Vice President Hubert Humphrey—associated with the unpopular administration of Lyndon B. Johnson—did not compete in a single primary, yet controlled enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination. This proved one of several factors behind rioting which broke out at the convention in Chicago. The examples and perspective in this article do not represent a worldwide view. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... In the United States of America, the Progressive Era was a period of reform that began in Americas urban regions from, approximately the 1890s and lasted through the 1920s, although some experts say it lasted from 1900 to 1920. ... A catalyst (Greek: καταλύτης, catalytÄ“s) is a substance that accelerates the rate (speed) of a chemical reaction without itself being transformed or consumed by the reaction (see also catalysis). ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... The Vietnam War or Second Indochina War was a conflict between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN, or North Vietnam), allied with the National Liberation Front (NLF, or Viet Cong) against the Republic of Vietnam (RVN, or South Vietnam), and its allies—notably the United States military in support of... You may be looking for information about another U.S. senator, Joseph McCarthy. ... State nickname: North Star State, The Land of 10,000 Lakes, The Gopher State Official languages None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) Senators Mark Dayton (D) Norm Coleman (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 12th 225,365 km² 8. ... Hubert Horatio Humphrey II (May 27, 1911–January 13, 1978) was the 38th Vice President of the United States, twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota and was mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was the thirty-sixth President of the United States (1963–1969). ... Riots in Newark, New Jersey Riots occur when crowds of people have gathered and are committing crimes or acts of violence. ... Police and protesters at the Convention The 1968 Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois from August 26-29, 1968, by the United States Democratic Party, for the purposes of choosing the Democratic nominee for the 1968 U.S. Presidential Election. ...

Media images of the event—angry mobs facing down police—damaged the image of the Democratic Party, which appointed a commission headed by George McGovern to select a new, less controversial method of choosing nominees. The commission settled on the primary election, adopted by the Democratic National Committee in 1968. The Republicans adopted the primary as their preferred method in 1972. Henceforth, candidates would be given convention delegates based on their performance in primaries, and these delegates were bound to vote for their candidate. George McGovern. ... Former Vermont Governor Dr. Howard Dean is the current Chairman of the DNC. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal campaign and fund-raising organization affiliated with the United States Democratic Party. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ...

As a result, the presidential nominating convention has lost almost all of its old drama. The last attempt to release delegates from their candidates came in 1980, when Senator Ted Kennedy sought the votes of delegates held by incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter. The last major party convention whose outcome was in doubt was the 1976 Republican National Convention, when former California Governor Ronald Reagan nearly won the nomination away from the incumbent, Gerald Ford. 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Edward Moore Kennedy (born February 22, 1932) is the senior U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, having served since 1963. ... James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. ... The 1976 Republican National Convention was held in Kansas City, Missouri at Kemper Arena from August 16 to August 19. ... Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis with President George W. Bush (2003) Seal of the Governor of California (without the Roman numerals designating the governors sequence) See also: List of pre-statehood governors of California, List of Governors of California The Governor of California is the highest executive authority... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ...

Televising controversy

While rank and file members had no input in early nominations, they were still drawn by the aura of mystery surrounding the convention, and networks began to broadcast speeches and debates to the general public. NBC affiliate W2XBS in New York City made the first telecast of a national party convention, of the 1940 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The National Broadcasting Company or NBC is an American television broadcasting company based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... New York City, officially named the City of New York, is the most populous city in the United States, and the most densely populated major city in North America. ... Independence Hall, as it appears today. ...

With the rise of the direct primary, and in particular with the "front-loading" of the primary calendar since the 1988 election, the nominee has often secured a commanding majority of delegates far in advance of the convention. As such, the convention has become little more than a coronation, a carefully staged campaign event designed to draw public attention and favor to the nominee, with particular attention to television coverage. For instance, speeches by noted and popular party figures are scheduled for the coveted prime time hours, when most people would be watching. The election was held on November 8, 1988. ... Prime time is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening. ...

As the drama has left the conventions, and complaints grown that they were scripted and dull pep rallies, viewership—and television network advertising revenue—have fallen off. The networks have increasingly limited their coverage, arguing that those interested can watch the proceedings on a cable network. A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... Generally speaking, advertising is the promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas, usually by an identified sponsor. ...

References

• Chase, James S. Emergence of the Presidential Nominating Convention, 1789-1832 (Houghton Mifflin: 1973).
• Congressional Research Service. Presidential Elections in the United States: A Primer. (Washington, Congressional Research Service, April 17, 2000).
• History House: Conventional Wisdom
• Online NewsHour: Interview with Historian Michael Beschloss on the origins of the convention process
• Republican National Convention 2004: Convention History