Every four years the people of the United States select one President and a Vice President. This process is complicated, with the two major political parties holding primary and caucus elections to select a candidate to endorse. Candidates then campaign across the country and participate in televised debates to explain their stance on different issues and policies.
The process has become controversial, with critics arguing that the Electoral College is antiquated and inherently undemocratic. They also argue that it encourages presidential candidates to focus exponentially more time, money and energy in a few “swing states” where the citizens do not consistently vote for either the Democratic or Republican party.
After a series of primaries and caucuses, delegates to a party’s national convention are selected and then bound to vote for the candidate assigned to them. The candidate with the most delegates wins the nomination and is then officially declared the party’s presidential candidate.
During the 2024 election, Donald Trump was able to win the Republican nomination almost unopposed. He won the majority of votes in the early primary and caucus states and dominated the televised debates. However, after a series of poor performances and attacks from Democrats, he was eventually forced to withdraw from the race. His replacement, Kamala Harris, won the Democratic nomination with overwhelming support from liberal voters and supporters of Bernie Sanders. However, many in the party remained concerned that she was lacking in specific plans to address issues such as income inequality and climate change.