Front-loading Definition (US Primaries)
Chapter 1

Smoke-filled rooms to ballot boxes

Chapter 2

Primaries versus caucuses

Chapter 3

The math of delegates

Chapter 4

Calendar chaos and the race to the finish

YOUR GOAL

Master of The primary election system in US democracy

Ch 4 · Calendar chaos and the race to the finish
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diego The strategic race of primary frontloading

Aug 13

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diego The high stakes of Super Tuesday

Aug 13

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The high stakes of Super Tuesday

diego Super Tuesday is the most critical day of the primary calendar, with over a dozen states voting simultaneously.

Aug 13

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The strategic race of primary frontloading

diego States compete for media attention and candidate visits by scheduling their primaries as early in the year as possible.

Aug 13

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The Great Date Race
BETA

diego Sort state primary dates on the calendar to learn how early contests shape presidential campaigns.

Aug 13

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Fun Fact

Missing New Hampshire: In 1992, Bill Clinton lost the New Hampshire primary but dubbed himself the 'Comeback Kid,' eventually winning the presidency.

Aug 13

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Glossary
front-loading (noun)
The practice of distributing costs, activities, or efforts unevenly, with a heavy concentration at the start. In 2008, Florida and Michigan moved their presidential primaries to January, disrupting the national party schedules.

Aug 13

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Gossip

Which state do you think should get to vote first in presidential primaries?

Aug 13

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Quiz

In what decade did the modern concept of 'Super Tuesday' first emerge to group southern state primary contests?

Aug 13

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diego The outsized power of early states

Aug 13

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Quiz

In U.S. politics, what is the phenomenon called where states move their primary dates earlier to gain influence?

Aug 13

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diego Shifting calendars and demographic representation

Aug 13

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Quiz

What penalty do U.S. national parties often use against states that schedule their primaries too early?

Aug 13

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Quiz

Approximately what fraction of total nominating delegates are typically awarded on Super Tuesday?

Aug 13

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Quiz

Why did the Democratic Party replace Iowa with South Carolina as the first official voting state in 2024?

Aug 13

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Quiz

Since 1920, which U.S. state has traditionally held the first-in-the-nation primary election?

Aug 13

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Quiz

Which U.S. presidential candidate famously called himself the 'Comeback Kid' after placing second in the 1992 New Hampshire primary?

Aug 13

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Quiz

Which U.S. state did the Democratic National Committee choose to hold its first official primary in 2024?

Aug 13