An Electronic Journal of
the U.S. Department of State
October 2004

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CONTENTS

About This Issue

Winning the States

Because the president and vice president are selected by winner-take-all Electoral College votes in each state, and not by the national popular vote, candidates focus on winning strategic state contests.

Expert Commentary: Charlie Cook, Editor and Publisher of the Cook Political Report

The Split Electorate

Polls indicate that American voters support the two major presidential candidates in nearly equal numbers. The small number of undecided or "swing" voters may be key to the election's outcome.

Expert Commentary: John Zogby, President and CEO, Zogby International

Congressional Elections

Control of Congress is important to a party's legislative agenda. A number of races for the Senate and House of Representatives are hotly contested this year.

Expert Commentary: Thomas E. Mann, W. Averell Harriman Chair and Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

Financing the Campaigns

The McCain-Feingold Law banned "soft" money, but the emergence of "527 committees" represents a new avenue for large contributors.

Expert Commentary: Jan Baran, Partner, Wiley, Rein & Fielding LLP, Washington, DC

The Mass Media

American voters obtain most of their information about candidates and their positions from the mass media. The quality of campaign coverage and the tone of political ads are important factors in the election.

Expert Commentary: Montague Kern, Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Rutgers University

Third Parties

Despite the dominance of the Republican and Democratic parties, third parties often affect the outcome of U.S. elections. Ralph Nader is the only third party candidate in 2004 that might have a measurable impact.

Expert Commentary: L. Sandy Maisel, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Government, Colby College

Platform Positions

Along with a candidate's personal appeal and party affiliation, a party's positions on the issues are deciding factors for voters. Here is a comparison of excerpts from the two major party platforms on key points with an overview of each by two experienced party activists.

Expert Commentary: Republican Tucker Eskew, former Deputy Assistant to the President in the White House Office of Communications and President of Eskew Strategies, and Democrat Marc Ginsberg, former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco, Chief Executive Officer of Northstar Equity Group and Chairman, Alliance For American Leadership.

Debating the Issues

Televised debates between the candidates have become one of the most anticipated and influential aspects of the presidential campaign.

Voting Day

What Americans do when they go to the polls.

Voting Technology

The ways in which Americans cast their votes are changing.

Ballots

Not only the names of candidates appear on an American ballot.

The Electoral College

How the Electoral College elects the president and vice president.

Bibliography

Internet Resources