Complete Procedure of Selection of USA President?

Question

I m not from USA n I really hav a very l8l knowledge of d selection procedure of USA President. Can anyone plz tell me rit from starting? Consider me as I knew nothing b4....some Q r Is thr exist only 2 political party? Do citizens directly vote 4 president?D whole procedure takes how much time n many more.......plz.........

Answer 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk8pxyAWT...

The power of the presidency makes it the most sought-after position in American politics. The keen competition for the post and high cost of waging an effective campaign limits the pool of candidates to a select few. The Constitution originally provided for the election of the president and vice president by the electoral college. Members of the electoral college, who are called electors, represent their states by casting votes for two candidates, with the person receiving the greatest number of votes becoming president and the second-place finisher, vice president. A tie vote in the 1800 election between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr led to the enactment in 1804 of the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, which provides that the electoral college use separate ballots, one for president and one for vice president.

By the mid-19th century the votes of the electoral college had only symbolic importance. Electors from each state simply followed the will of the voting majority by giving their votes to the candidate receiving the most popular votes. However, in the electoral college system, it is possible for candidates to win a majority of electoral votes, and therefore the presidency, without winning the nationwide popular vote. This scenario has occurred three times in United States history: in 1876, when Rutherford B. Hayes beat Samuel Tilden; in 1888, when Benjamin Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland; and in 2000, when George W. Bush prevailed over Al Gore. Another president who lost the popular vote was John Quincy Adams, who was elected in 1824 by the House of Representatives after no candidate received a majority in the electoral college.

The president and vice president are the only public officials in the United States chosen in a nationwide election, which takes place every four years. There are three major steps in a presidential candidate’s journey toward the White House: primary elections, the party convention, and the campaign for the general election between party nominees. After winning election the president takes an oath of office on Inauguration Day. The long and expensive process from primary elections through the general election weeds out most potential candidates.

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_7615...

That's a very good site that goes into far more detail than the format allows me to do here. Some alternatives are

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6297...

(quick guide to understanding the process)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stat...

Hope this helps