Political campaigns have changed dramatically over the last century, from black and white newspapers to the use of social media. In this essay we will use the 2012 presidential campaign as an example of how political campaigns changed the nature of American politics and how money was the driving factor behind these campaigns. The 2012 presidential election was won by a landslide by the incumbent party, President Obama. The election was between Democratic President Obama and Republican Governor Mitt Romney. To meet the requirements to run for president under the Constitution, Article II establishes the executive branch and establishes the following rules on who can be the President. "Article II Section 1. The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold office for a term of four years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same term, shall be elected as follows: .. .No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible for the office of President, nor shall any person be eligible for that office who has not attained the age of thirty-five years and has not been resident in the United States for fourteen years.” (United States Constitution) Once the candidate determines that he or she will run, he or she must declare candidacy and file an application with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). “If you are running for the House, Senate, or President of the United States, you must register with the the FEC once you (or persons acting on your behalf) receive contributions or make expenditures in excess of $5,000. Within 15 days of..... .center of document......mont, California: Thomson Wadsworth, 2007).Liberto, Jennifer 2012. Most expensive 2012 elections to date: 4.2 billion bill dollars and rising on November 5, 2012. CNN Money.com. //money.cnn.com/2012/11/05/news/economy/campaign-finance/ (accessed February 22, 2014) Paul Quirk, “Presidential Competence,” in The Presidency and the Political System, DC ed: CQ Press , 2010), page 110. “Quick Responses to Candidate Questions,” www.fec.gov (accessed February 22, 2014). Shear, Micheal “How Much Does It Cost to Run for President?” New York Times, March 26, 2011. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/26/how-much-does-it-cost-to-run-for-president/?_php=true&_type= blogs&_r =0 (accessed February 22, 2014). Tulis, Jeffery “The Two Constitutional Presidencies.” In The Presidency and the Political System, edited by Michael Nelson, 1-33 Washington DC: CQ Press, 2010.