Question

What are the major conventions of the US Constitution? Why have these developed?

Answer 1

1. Presidential Cabinet rests on Conventions: The Presidential Cabinet is not mentioned in the Constitution. It only says that the president may confer with the heads of the executive agencies when managing the US government. This clause served as the foundation for the formation and evolution of the Presidential Cabinet. 
2. Conventions Regarding Presidential Election: Certain conventions are credited with unofficially turning the president's indirect election into a direct election. According to the law, the president is chosen by the electoral college, which is chosen by the people. 
3. Convention of not having the President and the Vice-President from the same Region or State: The selection of candidates for the positions of President and Vice-President is unrestricted by the Constitution. Nevertheless, it has been established through a convention that the applicants for these two positions are not from the same state or region. They must be selected from both different states and various regions. 
4. Party Primaries and National Conventions Conferences: According to the constitution, there are only two steps in the presidential election process: (1) the people elect the members of the Presidential Electoral College (PEC), and (2) the PEC elects the president and vice president. In reality, though, the process consists of multiple steps, the first two being (1) the Party Primaries, wherein the major parties choose representatives for their respective National Conventions, and (2) the National Conventions and nominations of candidates for the President and Vice-President positions. 
5. Origin and Growth of Political Parties and the Bi-party System: The emergence of various conventions has played a significant role in the formation and expansion of political parties as well as a two-party system. The extra-legal constitutional institutions (Political Parties) and the constitutional institutions (Congress and Presidential Policy) are closely interdependent. Conventions have served as the foundation for this.
6. Conventions relating to the office of the Speaker: The position of Speaker of the House of Representatives is just established by the US Constitution. It remains noticeably silent about his roles and responsibilities. Conventions govern the Speaker's duties and responsibilities as the House of Representatives' chairman and as the head of the House due to his or her leadership of the majority party.
7. Residential Qualification for the members of the House of Representatives: A candidate for the House of Representatives must be a resident of the state from which he is running, according to the Constitution. He must be a resident of both the state and the electoral district (constituency) from which he is running for office, according to the practical interpretation of this clause.
8. Committee System of the Congress: There are no provisions in the US Constitution pertaining to the congressional committee system. Only a few conventions have made it possible for the committees of both Houses of Congress to form and remain in existence.
9. The Institution of Investigation Committees: To look into how various government departments operate, the two Houses of Congress either independently or together appoint investigation committees. Conventions are also the foundation of this practice.
10. Citizenship and Residence Qualifications for the Senators: Candidates must be state residents in order to be elected to the US Senate. This is required under the constitution. As a result, it has been customary for candidates from a political party to run for the two Senate seats to come from different parts of the state.