Sample Political Science Essay on the 2016 Republican National Convention

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With the eve of another election upon us in 2016, the presidential candidates in all of their political glory have been traipsing around America making their cases for that coveted seat in the White House. This year though, it seem less emphasis has been placed on the different political parties and more on the actual candidates themselves. A person cannot go anywhere these days and not hear something about Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and to a lesser extent, Gary Johnson. It is important to remember that these candidates still have certain obligations to their respective Republican, Democrat, and Third Party affiliations before the November vote.

As a good political science essay will point out, there are many elements to the election process including primaries, stumping, and participating in the National Conventions. If you have trouble formulating your ideas into succinct words and viewpoints like the professional writer has done in the following essay, you are an ideal candidate for ordering a political science essay to use for your own reference. The format and structure of our essays will point you in the right direction when it comes time to composing your own paper.

Those new to politics and the voting process may wonder what the purpose of the National Conventions actually are. Democrats and the Republicans both host large multi-day events. These events fill large sports stadiums with voters and delegates. These shows can often compete with events like The Grammys, Emmys, and the Acadamy Awards in terms of scope. The purpose of the conventions is to rally behind the winner of the primary elections earlier in the year as their party's nominee for the Presidency of the United States. They often are filled with celebrity appearances, musical performances, and endorsements for the nominees of each party. The purpose of this particular discussion is to talk about this year’s Republican National Convention and its importance in the upcoming presidential election of 2016.

The Republican National Convention: History of the Republican Party

Though the United States of America was formed in the 1700s, it's political parties were not yet conceived. In regards to the Republican Party:

It began in a little schoolhouse in Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1854. A small group of dedicated abolitionists gathered to fight the expansion of slavery, and they gave birth to a Party dedicated to freedom and equal opportunity. The name “Republican” was chosen, alluding to Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican Party and conveying a commitment to the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.(GOP)

Some historical highlights of Republicans include:

• 1854: First Republican Party meeting in Ripon, Wisconsin.
• 1865: Republican-controlled 38th Congress passes the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery.
• 1872: Republican-controlled 42nd Congress establishes Yellowstone as first national park.
• 1917: First woman in Congress, Rep. Jeannette Rankin (R-MT), sworn in.
• 1928: First Hispanic U.S. Senator Octaviano Larrazolo (R-NM), sworn in.
• 1957: President Dwight Eisenhower signs the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
• 1981: Sandra Day O’Connor, appointed by President Reagan, becomes first woman on the Supreme Court. (GOP)

The Republican National Convention and The Republican National Committee

Now that we know a little bit about the history of the Republican Party, it is important that an understanding of the Republican National Committee is obtained.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) provides national leadership for the Republican Party, one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. The RNC is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican Party platform as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is also responsible for organizing and running the Republican National Convention every four years. (Ballotpedia)

The Republican National Committee is comprised of a leadership hierarchy that has existed since it's inception. There are sixteen positions that make up the core of its leadership. These positions, who holds them, and the states they hail from include:

1. RNC Chairman: Reince Priebus: Wisconsin
2. RNC Co-Chairwoman: Sharon Day: Florida
3. Senate Majority Leader: Senator Mitch McConnell: Kentucky
4. Speaker of the House: Congressman Paul Ryan: Wisconsin
5. House Majority Leader: Congressman Kevin McCarthy: California
6. House Republican Policy Committee Chairman: Congressman Luke Messer: Indiana (Ballotpedia)

The Republican National Committee has always prided itself on being a party that has upheld certain ideals. They are:

• Party of Freedom
• Party of Prosperity
• Party of Vision
• Party of Strength
• Party of the Future (Ballotpedia)

Along with these core principles, the 2016 Republican Party has an extensive platform, which addresses a multitude of other political interests.

The Republican National Convention: 2016's Republican Presidential Candidate

This year’s election could quite possibly one of the most important for the Republican Party. Since it has been twelve years since a Republican has won the presidential election, many Republicans feel that America is long overdue for the Democrats to step aside. There are many incentives for the GOP this year. In particular,

If the GOP can retain their hold of the Senate and House of Representatives, the party will be able to chart the political, social, economic and cultural direction of the United States for the next 30 to 50 years. There are potentially up to four Supreme Court Justices to be nominated by the next president. With four existing conservative Justices currently serving on the Supreme Court, the addition of another four conservative life-appointments will guarantee a titanic legislative alignment of the country’s laws in favor of the conservative agenda. (Politicks.org)

Another piece of important information to consider is:

Moreover, a triumvirate of a Republican president and a Republican-controlled Senate and House will enable the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, the holy grail of the party since its enactment in 2010. With such tempting rewards in place, common wisdom dictates that Republican Party should aim to be at its strongest and most unified ever. (Politicks.org)

 This year’s Republican Presidential Candidate, to the dismay of many within his own party, is Donald Trump. 

A billionaire real estate tycoon, reality TV star and now, presumptive Republican presidential nominee for the 2016 presidential election, the larger-than-life Donald Trump is shaking American politics to its very core with his no-holds-barred approach to politics. The maverick is now on course to battle it out with the Democrat nominee this November for the keys to the White House. (Politicks.org)

His Vice Presidential Candidate is Mike Pence.

The former college admission officer, political consultant, attorney, talk radio host and six-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and current Governor of Indiana, is the archetypal modern social conservative Republican. Gov. Pence is an unabashed social and fiscal conservative, and is arguably one of the most influential political figures in the conservative heartland. (Politicks.org)

History of the Republic National Convention

This brings us to the topic of the Republican National Committee. The RNC serves two purposes. These purposes are orchestrated by the Republican National Committee and are held in order to:

• Officially nominate the Republican candidates for president and vice president.
• Adopt the Republican Party’s political platform. (Politicks.org)

The first ever Republican National Convention was held on February 22 -23, 1856 at Lafayette Hall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania... The nationwide congregation of delegates during the convention is capitalized with a highly-orchestrated media blitz aimed at boosting the morale of the delegates and rank and file party members. At its infancy, the conventions are directly responsible for electing the party's presidential and vice-presidential nominee. However, the introduction of the modern state-level primaries and caucuses has somewhat diluted the clout of conventions, and instead, turned them into a four-day media event, albeit one that offers a powerful post-convention bouncer for the nominees. (Politicks.org)

For an interesting historical perspective, click here to read a sample comparative essay examining the 2016 election versus the election of 1916.

 2016 Republican National Convention

This year’s convention was one of the largest in the history of the event. Surface facts include:

• It reached 18 million views on Facebook alone, as well as over 4.5 million views on YouTube Live.
• Included social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.
• Enlisted the help of over 300 volunteers just to work the digital aspects of the production. (RNC)

The four-day event was held in Cleveland, Ohio. In regards to Trumps acceptance speech upon securing the nomination:

The 76-minute speech, which created history by becoming the longest presidential nomination acceptance speech ever, proved to be a massive hit, and in true Trump style, inspired days of coverage and discussion on the national media. More importantly, the speech marked the reunification of the party (well, mostly), and will ensure a unified Republican Party in November. (Politicks.org)

Conclusion

The Republican Party, the Republican National Committee, and the Republican National Convention have been long-standing staples in politics for more than 150 years. Their roots are heavily buried in the United States quest for a new President every four years. With each passing Convention comes new, exciting, and media entrenched ways of attempting to secure voters with riveting speeches, controversial debates, and a myriad of personalities that strive to make the Republican Party stand out from its most fierce competitors. Donald Trump’s candidacy, despite having many saying, "If Trump wins I'm moving outta the country," this year could quite possibly be a turning point for the Republican Party and dictate how America will fare for the next few decades. See you at the polls!

Works Cited

Ballotpedia. "Republican National Committee - Ballotpedia." Republican National Committee - Ballotpedia. N.p., 2016. Web. 02 Aug. 2016. https://ballotpedia.org/Republican_National_Committee

 GOP. "History of the GOP." GOP. N.p., 2016. Web. 02 Aug. 2016. https://www.gop.com/history/

Politicks.org. "1st Presidential Debate." Republican Presidential Candidates 2016. N.p., 2016. Web. 02 Aug. 2016. Removed. http://2016.republican-candidates.org/

 Politicks.org. "Donald Trump." Republican National Convention Origin & History. N.p., 2016. Web. 02 Aug. 2016. http://2016.republican-convention.org/history/

 Politicks.org. "Republican Party Platform, Republican Presidential Nominee, Republican Vice Presidential Nominee." Republican National Convention. N.p., 2016. Web. 02 Aug. 2016. http://2016.republican-convention.org/

 RNC. "2016 GOP Convention." - Cleveland, Ohio. N.p., 2016. Web. 02 Aug. 2016.http://convention.gop/