The Long Road to the White House: How to Become a US President

American politicians say that the way they elect presidents is one of the most open and democratic processes in the world. But to outsiders it seems rather baffling. In some countries, the election race takes just a few weeks, but in the United States, it usually takes more than a year. «The road to the White House is a long road», said George W. Bush.

The Rules: According to the US Constitution, a president must be elected every four years. To become a US president, you must be 35 or older, be a US citizen born in the USA, have lived in the USA at least 14 years.

You can only serve two terms. This means you can only be president twice. This became law in 1951. Before that, the law was different. In fact, Franklin D. Roosevelt became president in 1933 and was still president when he died in 1945.

The US president is not actually chosen by a direct vote of people. He is elected by the 538 electors that make up what is called the Electoral College. The Electoral College isn’t the kind of college with students and professors. It means the total number of «electoral votes» from all the states. Altogether, there are 538 electoral votes and a candidate must win at least 270 of them (more than half) to win the presidency.

Step 1. Get yourself nominated: The first step on the long road to the White House is primaries and caucuses. Voters all over the country go to the polls to help each political party decide on a single candidate. In most countries, the party picks the candidate. But in the US, voters have to choose from the list of candidates made by the party. The US has two main political parties: the Democrats and the Republicans.

Step 2. The Convention: The party delegates gather together to unite behind one presidential candidate. The Republicans usually meet in Philadelphia and the Democrats meet in Los Angeles. They also create their party platforms.

Step 3. The Campaign: TV, radio, and print advertisements are everywhere! The candidates travel up and down the country, giving speeches and appearing on TV. These guys want you to know why they should live in the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Step 4. Great Debates: The candidates face each other in national debates. They have to answer difficult questions – about taxes, education, foreign policy…

Step 5. The Election Day: On November 7, people in every state vote their choice for president. Whichever candidate wins your state’s popular vote usually gets all of your state’s electoral votes.

Step 6. Moving-In Day: On Inauguration Day, which is always held on January 20, Americans finally call the winner «Mr. President». And that looks pretty cool on a business card! There is usually a parade and the new president usually makes a speech about his plans for the US.

TEXT 4. Read and translate. Name three things you associate with America.

American Symbols

The Declaration of Independence

This famous document declared the freedom of the original 13 colonies from British rule. A large part of it was written by Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration stated that the colonies were now «free and independent states» and offi­cially named them the United States of America.

The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Congress on the fourth of July, 1776. This day is now celebrated in the USA as Independence Day.

The Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell is a symbol of freedom. It was made in London and taken to Philadelphia in 1752 where it cracked when it was first used. It was repaired, and when the Declaration of Independence was signed, it rang out the day. It cracked again in 1835 and 1846. In 1976 it was placed in a special case of glass and steel behind Independence Hall (the building in Philadelphia where the Declaration of Independence was written and signed).

Stars and Stripes

The flag of the US has 13 stripes for the 13 original colonies and 50 stars for the 50 states. American citizens and immigrants some­times recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag: «I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the Unites States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, One Nation, under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all».

The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty was a present to the peo­ple of the United States from the people of France. It was designed by Frederic Auguste Bartoldie and brought to America in 1884. The Statue of Liberty stands on Liberty Island in the middle of New York harbour. It has become a symbol of hope and freedom and was the first American sight seen by many people who went to the US for a better life. The Statue is 46 metres high and weighs 204 tons.

The American Eagle

The American eagle is the national symbol of the United States. It is also called the «bald eagle» and it appears on the Great Seal of the United States and on some coins.

Uncle Sam

Uncle Sam has the initials US and is an unof­ficial symbol of the US government. He first appeared in the 1960s on posters asking peo­ple to join the army, pointing his finger and saying «Uncle Sam needs you!» His top hat and clothes are always decorated with the stars and stripes of the American flag.

The Donkey and the Elephant

The Donkey and the Elephant first appeared in political cartoons as symbols of the two main political parties in the US the Democrats and the Republicans. There are not clear differences between the two parties. The Republicans tend to be more conserva­tive and to have more support among the upper classes. The Democrats tend to be more liberal and to have more support among the working classes and the poor.

TEXT 5. Read and translate the text. Be ready to discuss.

The Values Americans Live By

Most Americans see themselves as open, frank and friendly. If you ask them a question, they will answer it. They have nothing to hide. They cannot under­stand why people from other countries should have any difficulty understand­ing them. Unless, of course, there are language problems. But most foreigners do have trouble understanding Americans – even if they have a good com­mand of English. So what are Americans like? What values do they live by?

Individualism

The most important thing to understand about Americans is probably their individualism. The United States is the most individualistic (or second most, after Australia) country in the world.

Americans are trained from an early age to consider themselves as individuals who are responsible for their own situations in life and their own destinies. You can often hear such phrases as: «You'll have to decide that for yourself». «If you don't look out for yourself, no one else will».

They don't see themselves as members of a group. Even when they join groups – in fact many groups – they somehow believe they’re just a little different, just a little unique, just a little special, from other members of the same group. And they tend to leave groups as easily as they enter them.

When they meet a person from abroad who seems to them too concerned with the opinions of parents they think that the person is «weak» or «too dependent».

Their ideal person is an individualistic, self-reliant, independent person who prefers an atmosphere of freedom, where neither the government nor anybody else dictates what the individual does.

Their heroes are people who «stand out from the crowd» by doing some-thing first, longest, most often, or otherwise «best». They admire people who have overcome difficult circumstances (for example, poverty) and «succeeded» in life.

Informality

Americans are very informal. They are probably the most informal people in the world. You will see students going to class in shorts and T-shirts and teachers and university professors wearing blue jeans.

A booklet advertising a famous arts college has a photograph showing the college president, dressed in shorts and an old T-shirt, jogging past one of the classroom buildings on his campus. Americans like the photograph: «Here is a college president who's just like anyone else. He doesn't think he's too good for us».

Informality can also be seen in American's greetings. «Hi!» they will say to just about anyone, or «Howya doin?» (that is, «How are you doing?» or «How are you?»). The farewell can be as short as: «See you», «take it easy» or «come by some time» (although they often don't really mean it).

Privacy

Americans think that most people «need some time to themselves» or «some time alone» to think about things. Most Americans have great difficulty understanding people who always want to be with another person, who dislike being alone. They tend to consider such people as weak or dependent.

They often say: «If I don't have at least half an hour a day to myself, I will go mad».

If the parents can afford it, each child will have his or her own bedroom. Having one's own bedroom, even as a kid, means that you will have your clothes, your own toys, your own books, and so on. These things will be yours and no one else's.

Foreign visitors will find American homes and offices open, but what is inside the American mind is considered to be private. To ask the question «What is on your mind?» is very rude.

Equality

Equality is, for Americans, one of their most important values. As it’s stated in their Declaration of Independence, «all men are created equal». «One person, one vote», they say, meaning that any person's opinion is important. There are even laws that protect this «right to equality» in its various forms.

When foreign people of high position come to the United States they are often insulted by the way they are treated by American clerks, waiters, taxi drivers, etc. «They treat me just like anybody else!», they complain. But Americans hate treating people of high position in a different manner. A highly-placed visitor should be prepared to be considered «just like anybody else» while he is in America. In America, the words «sir» and «madam» are seldom used. Managers, directors, presidents and even university professors are often addressed by their first name.