American System Flashcards
Complete separation of powers
-presidential + congressional elections are held separately
-often judges, sheriffs school boards are elected through seperate elections -> politicises everything and makes them more susceptible to bribery
Voluntary voting and managing elections
-‘getting the vote out’ as voting is voluntary
-voluntary voting upholds free+fair elections but undermines political participation
-difference within voting systems state wide -> no nationally consistent system resulting in inequality of political rights currently affecting the African American population
FEC VS AEC
-FEC appointed by president and confirmed by senate
-AEC much more powerful as they ruin federal and state elections, strictly idpendent, power of section 60
Election day
-Tuesday early nov
-reduces political participation as typically a working day
-conveys how Americas value on history affects decisions decisions (lack therof) in present day -> linking
Electing federal executive
-executive is composed of an elected president, vice, cabinet of secretaries appointed by president
-section 1 of article 2 sets out process for electing federal executive
-sets out 4 year term a president is elected for and the fact they can only serve for max 2 terms
Primaries and caucuses
-PRIMARIES are votes by secret ballot whereas CAUCUSES are open meeting held by members to discuss and informally vote on a candidate (IOWA)
-primaries and caucuses are the way political parties choose their president
Electoral college system
-the constitution states that ‘an electoral college will elect the president and vice president of the US’
-when Americans vote for their president they are formally electing state delegates to send to the electoral college system which will then elect ge president using FPP
-about winning majority of electoral votes not popular votes
HOW does the electoral college system work
-each state has electoral college delegates equal to that if the size of the states combined representation in HOR and senate relating to population size e.g California biggest state 53 HOR 2 senate
-follows winner takes all mentality e.g they could win 515 OR 92% and still get all electoral college votes
-Nebraska different
To elect the PRESIDENT
-need 270 or more electoral college votes
-a candidate may win fewer states by larger margins while their opponent can win more states by smaller margin
-undermines majority rule e.g 2016 when Clinton received larger % if votes but less states
FPP should uphold majority rule however electoral can undermine
Electing CONGRESS
-congress is represenative bi-cameras legislative chamber, HOR having 435 senate having 2 per state
E.g California 53 HOR Alaska 1 HOR both 2 senate
Congressional elections
-2 yearly
-‘senate rotation’ 1/3 being elected every elections to keep experienced and new senators to uphold stability and balance
-mid term and on year
Midterm importance
More media coverage than on year, great democratic mechanism to hold president (EXECUTIVIE) to account
-e.g 2018 election Democratic Party winning control of house interpret as peoples judgement on the performance of trump
Presidential elections of 2016
-Trump won 304 of the 538 electoral college votes and became president
-highlighted flaws with electoral college system and how a simple majority can undermine majority rule. Hillary Clinton won popular vote with nearly 3 million more votes however not enough states to win a margin of 2.1 % more than trump
2016 campaign features
-weaponisation of social media to spread allegations (email scandal, Russian collusion, sexual misconduct)
-misconduct and alienation of minority groups would ordinarily result in trumps defeat however had opposite effect showing issue of no compulsory voting
-trump 5th president despite losing popular vote
Presidential election 2020
The results brought about what many political scientists deem ‘a terrorist attack on democracy and the institutions that uphold it’ (capital attacks encouraged by trump when he did not concede defeat)
-Biden won the 302 electoral college cotes
