Has this presidential election seemed unusually turbulent to you? Does each new primary election feel something like an unpredictable roller coaster?
Americans have always cared about elections but, marked by increasing polarization and national turmoil, recent contests are being followed with extra energy and passion.
But this is not the first time. Presidential elections in the United States are often heated, but in the midst of an intense war of words, they have been guided by the powerful, yet peaceful, principles set forth in the Constitution for over 200 years.
Although election history has had its share of controversy and contention, the process has worked remarkably well, and the transfer of power from one president to the next has proceeded relatively peacefully.
Here is a brief look at the history of presidential elections.
