1-Minute Overview - 2012 Presidential Election

Last updated on: 7/13/2011 12:32:35 PM PST

1-Minute Overview

"Which candidate should be US president in 2012?"

About This Topic

The next US presidential election will be held on Nov. 6, 2012 and, similar to other presidential elections, it will be a major battle of ideas and dollars. The US president is considered by many to be the most powerful position on earth.

According to the US Constitution, any "natural born" US citizen over age 35 who has lived in the US for 14 years can run for president of the United States. Some of the President's duties/roles include:

Commander in Chief of armed forces
Head of the Executive branch of federal government
Signing Congressional bills into law or vetoing them
Making treaties with foreign governments (with 2/3 approval of Senate)
Appointing federal officers, ambassadors, and federal judges including Supreme Court justices
Granting pardons or reprieves
Using the power of his/her office to shape public opinion

In Mar. 1845, Congress declared that presidential elections would be held on "Election Day" - the Tuesday after the first Monday in Nov. of every fourth year, starting in 1848.

In the 2008 presidential election, candidates and interest groups spent an estimated $2.6 billion on political advertising. This money combined with partisanship, dirty campaigns, and biased or incomplete reporting often makes it difficult to figure out where candidates stand on important issues and, therefore, who to vote for.

Our website has created detailed biographies for each Democratic, Republican, and major third party/independent candidate. Our site shows their positions on abortion, the death penalty, gun control, taxes, global warming, gay marriage, and over 75 other important topics.

This site also contains the candidate's position statements and, if their position changed, we have displayed their original and changed views. We archive each candidate's information as they withdraw from the race.

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