Starting the year before the first primary and ending with the national party conventions, describe how the presidential nomination process works

Does this system seem reasonable to you? In what ways would you like to see this process reformed? Why?

What will be an ideal response?

An ideal response will:
1, Discuss how gaining a party's nomination is a long process and involves first testing the waters to determine viability. This is partly determined by name recognition and experience; having been the vice president gives a candidate an advantage.
2, Discuss the necessity to obtain enough delegates by winning primaries and caucuses. This involves campaigning early in states that are frontloaded in the process. For example, time must be spent attempting to gain support in states such as Iowa and New Hampshire.
3, Discuss the need to raise money and to do so as early as possible.
4, Discuss the need to obtain support from states with a large number of delegates.
5, Evaluate how reasonable this system is. Discuss how the system favors those with early name recognition and money. States such as Iowa and New Hampshire have a disproportionate amount of influence. The system also favors those who do well in states with early primaries.
6 ,Discuss the options for potential reforms. For example, some reforms might do more to encourage greater participation because primary and caucus participation can be low. Reforms might also consider a way to deal with the fact that the states compete to move their primaries early and earlier. This results in little influence for states that go late in the process.