Compare And Contrast Presidential And Congressional Campaigns

Throughout Chapter 10 the author goes into great detail about the differences between presidential and congressional campaigns. I learned that presidential campaigns cover a broader scope and involve National issues, whereas Congressional campaigns are more localized, concentrate on specific more local concerns and engage more closely with citizens. Political parties perform several essential functions including nominating candidates for elections, mobilizing voters, shaping public opinion, and organizing government policy making efforts. Especially during the presidential nomination, political party activity is crucial because of the influence they hold over people's decisions. There are many important strategies and ideas that political parties use during elections. In some states, political parties will hold caucuses instead of primary elections.

Presidential campaigns are more high-profile and complex in comparison to Congressional Campaigns. Most presidential campaigns tend to start years before the actual election takes place, and they have primary elections within political parties before the General election. Candidates of Presidential campaigns need to gain support across the country, raise funds to support the campaign, and develop a platform where they are able to address various political issues and concerns. On the other hand, Congressional campaigns are typically much more localized and focused on specific states and districts, in comparison to the large scale of Presidential campaigns. While congressional campaigns still require substantial fundraising and campaigning, they are usually shorter in duration compared to Presidential campaigns. Congressional candidates adapt their message based on the unique needs, concerns and interests of the community, showing how they can best represent that