21.1 - US Democracy - Electoral systems - Presidential election Flashcards
What are the 6 key stages in the presidential election?
- Invisible primary
- Primaries and caucuses
- National party conventions
- Election campaign
5.TV debates - Election day
THE INVISIBLE PRIMARY
THE INVISIBLE PRIMARY
What is another term for the invisible primary?
The money primary
How many different candidates were there in 2016 to be the nominee of the Republican party?
17
How many of the Republican primary candidates withdrew before the second primary vote?
12
Who were the top 2 candidates in the 2016 republican primary?
Donald Trump and Ted Cruz
How many states did Trump win in the 2016 primary?
41
How many contests did Biden win in the 2020 primary?
46 contests
Who won the 2nd most contests in the 2020 democratic primary with 9?
Bernie Sanders
What group can raise unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose a candidate?
Super-PACs
What allowed for the creation of Super-PACs?
The Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v FEC which declared that corporations and unions have the same free speech rights as individuals and money counts as free speech
How much money did Joe Biden raise in 2020 for his campaign?
$1.5 billion
How much money did Trump raise in 2020 for his campaign?
$1.3 billion
How much money did Obama raise in 2008 for his campaign?
$778 million
How much did Trump benefit from in free media in 2016 whilst Clinton gained just $746 million?
Nearly $2 billion
PRIMARIES AND CAUCUSES
PRIMARIES AND CAUCUSES
How many states hold primaries and how many caucuses?
38 hold primaries, 12 hold caucuses
What is a caucus?
A public meeting in which people vote either by moving to a part of the room for a certain candidate or through a show of hands
What is a primary?
A state-wide election in which people cast a ballot for their candidate of choice
What are the 3 different types of primaries?
- Open primaries
- Closed primaries
- Semi-closed primaries
What do open primaries allow?
All voters in a state to take part, even if they are not a registered member of a party
What is a closed primary?
Only voters registered as a party member can take part
What are semi-closed primaries?
Hybrid of open and closed - registered voters can only take part in that vote whereas unregistered voters can choose which primary/caucus they want to vote in
What is ‘frontloading’?
The movement of primaries to an earlier point in the calendar in order to give more significance to a primary or caucus within a state
Where is the first caucus and where is the first primary?
First caucus in Iowa
First primary in New Hampshire
NATIONAL PARTY CONVENTIONS
NATIONAL PARTY CONVENTIONS
What is announced at national party conventions?
The presidential candidate of that particular party
What are 2 formal roles of National Party Conventions?
- Selecting presidential candidate
- Adopting party platform and policies
What are 2 informal roles of National Party Conventions?
- Selling the candidate
- Party unity
How many watched Obama’s speech in 2007 at the Democrat National Party Convention?
39 million
Who made their mark at a national party convention in 2004?
Obama
Who backed Joe Biden after losing to him in the 2020 Democratic primary in an attempt to show unity and defeat Donald Trump?
Bernie Sanders
THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN
THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN
What is a swing state?
A state which can swing to either candidate and is crucial in winning a presidential lection
What is a bellwether state?
A state which has historically tended to vote for the winning presidential candidate
In what 3 states were the most campaign events held in 2016?
Florida - 71
North Carolina - 55
Pennsylvania - 54
ELECTION DAY/ELECTORAL COLLEGE
ELECTION DAY/ELECTORAL COLLEGE
How many ECVs are available?
538
How many ECVs did Biden win in 2020?
306
How many ECVs did Trump win in 2016?
304
How many ECVs did Obama win in 2008?
365
How many ECVs did Bush win in 2000?
271
How many ECVs did Reagan win in 1984?
525
