Chicago welcomes the National Republican Convention in 1888. (Photo: Courtesy of the Library of Congress)

Every four years, large groups of political activists get together and throw confetti, blow up balloons, dance, and talk politics—for four consecutive days. Celebrity birthday party? No. It's a political convention, and nobody knows how to do it better than the Republicans and the Democrats.

Political conventions used to be about fighting over who would be the candidate for President. Now they are about getting the already-chosen candidates' message out to a national audience. And for those attending, they are about fun!

Millions of dollars are spent to set the stage for politics' biggest show. At least 5,000 delegates and 15,000 members of the media meet with elected officials and candidates from all over the nation in a host city. (This year, the Democrats are in Boston, while the Republicans chose New York as a convention site.) Only the biggest of sports arenas are able to handle the crowds: the Fleet Center in Boston and Madison Square Garden in New York.

Some of the biggest names in show business join in the fun, providing entertainment between the political speeches.

Was it always like this? No, way!

A Small Party Has a Big Idea

National conventions come from humble beginnings. As the U.S. grew, parties needed to bring people from different parts of the country together to decide who would run for President.

The Anti-Masons, the first third-party organization in the U.S., had a great idea: Hold a convention! Their goal was to compete in the upcoming election in 1832. So in 1831 they did just that. They nominated William Wirt of Maryland to run for President and Amos Ellmaker of Pennsylvania as Vice President.

Not to be outdone, the Democrats and the Republicans soon held their own conventions. The Republican Party held its first convention in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1832. The Republicans nominated Henry Clay, with John Sergeant as his running mate. The Democrats held their convention in May, also in Baltimore. President Andrew Jackson was running for a second term and since Vice President John C. Calhoun had resigned, he needed a nominee for Vice President. Martin Van Buren of New York was placed on the ticket with Jackson.

Then and Now

NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw has seen conventions change in the 30 years he has been covering them. "When I first began to cover them, they really decided who was going to be the presidential nominee at the convention," Brokaw told Scholastic News Online. "Almost no one arrived with enough votes to be the nominee, so they would settle it at the convention. Now, by the time that we get to the convention, we know who the nominees are going to be. And therefore, it's not as suspenseful as it once was, or as important."

To read the Scholastic News Online interview with Tom Brokaw, click here.