Date of Award
1984
Document Type
Thesis
Department
History
First Reader
Dr. Hal Bass
Second Reader
Dr. Tom Auffenberg
Third Reader
Professor Mike Thomson
Abstract
The Presidency is a unique institution. No other political office in America is viewed with such awe, respect, criticism and contempt. The President must be all things to all people. He must be a leader, a ruler and a diplomat. His decisions and policies affect many Americans. Due to the significance of the office, time and consideration should be given to the method by which the President is elected. The intent of this study is to examine the structure of the presidential selection process from the nomination campaign through the general election. Also included are brief biographies of the 1984 presidential candidates and comments on the possibility and probability of each one's chance at becoming President of the United States of America.
The origin of the extremely important office--the Presidency, is rooted in the United States Constitution. It places executive power in a President whose term shall run for four years and be appointed in such a way as the legislature may determine. The Constitution also states the individual requirements needed to qualify for this highly respected and sought after office. "No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States."Extra-constitutionally a highly complex selection process has developed over the last two hundred years.
Recommended Citation
Conaway, Myra, "The Structure of the Presidential Selection Process" (1984). Honors Theses. 193.
https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_theses/193