Primary elections and caucuses are used to narrow the field of candidates in each major political party before a general election.
Political parties hold national conventions to nominate candidates for the presidency and to decide on a platform.
The presidential general election occurs after the primary season and is the process through which a national vote chooses the president.
The Electoral College is the 538 person body that elects the President and the Vice President of the United States.
Presidential candidates seek the highest office of the executive branch of government and carry out campaigns in pursuit of election.
Campaigns seek to engage the public through traditional forms of media, such as television and the press, and more recently, social media.