A guide to the US political party conventions

Once every four years, the United States is the scene of two major acts of political theater: the Republican and Democratic party conventions. This year, they take place in a tense climate -- marked by a wave of nationwide protests over policing and race relations -- and following a particularly bruising primary election cycle. The Republican convention opened Monday in Cleveland and will run through Thursday, while the Democrats will gather July 25 to 28 in Philadelphia.