(Formal and Informal) Role of national party conventions 5.1

Question 1

National Party Conventions: Timing and Duration

Answer 1

• Held by Democrats, Republicans, and some third parties
• Typically occur in July, August, or early September of election year
• Last for 3-4 days
• Challenging party traditionally holds its convention first

Question 2

2020 Conventions: Impact of Covid-19

Answer 2

• Mostly virtual due to the pandemic
• Democratic convention: Postponed by a month, held in Milwaukee on a smaller scale, with remote speeches
• Republican convention: Initially planned for Charlotte, then moved to Jacksonville, but ultimately held in Charlotte and Washington DC with limited attendees and pre-taped speeches

Question 3

Choosing the Party’s Presidential Candidate

formal

Answer 3

• Conventions theoretically choose the candidate via roll-call vote
• Delegates are usually committed to a candidate before the convention
• Candidate must receive an absolute majority of delegate votes
• Modern conventions confirm rather than choose the candidate
• Brokered convention: No candidate achieves majority on the first ballot, leading to multiple ballots

Question 4

Choosing the Party’s Vice Presidential Candidate

formal

Answer 4

• Convention’s role in choosing the VP candidate has diminished
• VP candidate often announced before the convention
• Last convention announcement was in 1988 (Republican convention)

Question 5

Deciding the Party Platform

formal

Answer 5

• Platform: Document of policies the candidate intends to pursue
• Created by the Platform Committee under the National Committee’s direction
• Draft platform presented to delegates at the convention
• Debates on platform parts (planks) are often avoided to prevent division
• Example: Republican platform on sexuality issues in 2016, Democratic platform in 2020

Question 6

Brokered Convention

Answer 6

A convention where no candidate achieves an absolute majority on the first ballot, leading to multiple ballots and free-agent delegates

Question 7

Promoting Party Unity

informal

Answer 7

• Vital to heal internal party wounds from primaries before the general election
• Divided parties rarely win elections
• Conventions provide an opportunity to promote unity

Question 8

Enthusing the Party Faithful

informal

Answer 8

Essential to motivate party members for the general election campaign

Conventions provide a platform for inspirational speeches and appearances by party heroes

Question 9

Enthusing Ordinary Voters

informal

Answer 9

Important to engage ordinary voters through television

Acceptance speeches by presidential candidates are key moments

Question 10

Post-Convention ‘Bounce’

Answer 10

Immediate effect on opinion polls, though its significance can be exaggerated

2020 conventions produced no significant bounce for either candidate