⇒ National Convention meetings are held by each party once every 4 years.
⇒ They are held in July and August after the primary season and before the main election campaign has begun.
⇒ The purpose of the National Convention is to select their presidential and vice-president candidates and write a party platform.
⇒ Stephen Wayne says National Conventions "may have become less newsworthy, but they are still important" (e.g. they are more significant through their informal functions)
⇒ They can be used to promote party unity after a divisive primary process (e.g. Sanders endorsed Clinton and her ratings went up, but Cruz refused to endorse Trump and his ratings went down)
⇒ Can enthuse the party base (e.g. Bill Clinton speech)
⇒ Lead to a bounce in the polls (e.g. Trump's was well below average at 1%, Clinton's was average at 4.5%)
⇒ Vast majority of delegates arrive committed, due to the results of their state primary/caucus (e.g. Clinton won with 2807 delegates, which reflects states vote)
⇒ National Convention do not decide the party platform, as candidates come up with their own policies (e.g. Trump's 'build a wall')
⇒ National Conventions no longer choose the vice-president - the president does this and they have a joint ticket
⇒ Cast their vote in accordance with the views of the voters in the state they represent
⇒ Currently, Democrats have around 4764 delegates and Republicans have around 2472
⇒ Democrats introduced super-delegates in the mid-1980s.
⇒ They are unelected delegates who are free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination at the party's national convention.
⇒ By 2000 they account for 205 of the delegate vote, now make up about 15% (delegates)
⇒ In 2008, super-delegates played a significant role in the election of Obama, neither he or Clinton gained the required amount of delegate votes so he was reliant on them
⇒ Super Delegates influenced 2016 election (Clinton entered super Tuesday in a virtual tie of pledged delegates with Sanders (both held 50) yet had the support of nearly 400 super-delegates)
⇒ Republican delegates can vote using their conscience as stated by rule 38 of 'the rules of the republican party'
⇒ Next check out our notes on primaries and the 2016 General Election