Articles on Presidential campaigns

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Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy leaves the courthouse on 25 September 2025 after being sentenced to five years in jail for criminal conspiracy over attempts to raise campaign funds from Libya. AFP

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy handed five‑year prison term for criminal conspiracy over Gaddafi money

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will be imprisoned. This decision illustrates the growing independence of the judiciary and the application of the principle of equality before the law.
Sen. John Kennedy, left, and Vice President Richard Nixon prepare for the first televised presidential debate on Sept. 26, 1960. AP

What people say today about the first televised presidential debate, between Nixon and JFK, doesn’t match first reactions in 1960

While people now reflect on how or whether Nixon’s sweaty, haggard appearance during the debate cost him the election, the view in 1960 was that the debate was a draw.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley greets supporters on Jan. 3, 2024, at a bar in Londonderry, N.H. Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Women presidential candidates like Nikki Haley are more likely to change their positions to reach voters − but this doesn’t necessarily pay off

Nikki Haley is the latest American female politician to shift her language, depending on whom she is talking to and where. But this tactic has a flip side, prompting criticism of her as inconsistent.
Numerous rap songs criticize the Reagan administration for its complicity in the illicit drug trade. Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

Rap artists have penned plenty of lyrics about US presidents – this course examines what they say about Reagan and the 1980s

Ronald Reagan may have been known as ‘The Great Communicator,’ but rap artists don’t view his legacy through such rose-colored glasses. A professor of Black studies and history takes a closer look.
Supporters on election night 2016 at a Hillary Clinton party, when it became clear poll-based forecasts had been off target. Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Why Americans are so enamored with election polls

Polling is an imperfect attempt at providing insight and explanation. But the public’s desire for insight and explanation about elections never ends, so polls endure despite their flaws and failures.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley holds a town hall in South Carolina on Aug. 28, 2023. Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

How did the US presidential campaign get to be so long?

While other countries set strict limits on the length of campaigns, American presidential races have become drawn-out, yearslong affairs. It wasn’t always this way.

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