Election Process Flashcards
Invisible primaries
Candidates announce their candidacy. Happens in the lead up to the first primary in January. It allows the candidates name to become more recognisable, to collect money, organise a strategy, and attract media attention
Trump spending in 2016
He bought $10million in media
Compared to the $1,898million which he raised
Caucus
Happens between January and early June
A political meeting of party members
Held at churches, libraries, or schools
Votes are cast for a presidential candidate then delegates are selected to represent voters
Attract unrepresentative and low turnouts as they are held in geographically larger but thinly populated states eg Iowa and Wyoming
Primaries
A state-based election to choose a party’s candidate for the presidency
Chooses delegates to vote for the candidate at the National Party Convention
Most states use primaries
Can be proportional or winner takes all
Proportional: New Hampshire
Winner takes all: Arizona (FPTP), Trump won all 58 delegates in 2016
Since 1980 the turnout has not been above 30%
Closed primaries
Only members of the particular party can vote. E.g. only democrats can vote in the democrat primary
Used by 12 states including New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania
Open primaries
Any registered voter can vote in the primary of either party
Super Tuesday
Early February
A number of states coincide their presidential primaries in order to try to gain influence for their region in the selection of major party presidential candidates
Super Delegates
People who are appointed automatically as uncommitted delegates to the Democratic National Party Convention by virtue of being elected politician or senior party official
Front Loading
When states move their presidential primaries or caucuses earlier in the cycle in an attempt to increase the importance of their state
Iowa
First caucus
Unrepresentative of the majority as it is like 1950’s America
Has the most influence because it’s first
In 2020, the top 10 Democrats candidates spent a total of 621 days in Iowa (around 2 months per candidate)
National Party Nomination Convetions
Lasts about 4 days around August/September
Aim is to choose a presidential candidate, vice presidential candidate, and create a platform
Often held in swing states eg Republicans are having theirs in Wisconsin this year
Minor parties also have one but they’re less publicised
The speeches are valent and therefore would not be contested by Republicans or Democrats
Party Platform
A statement of party’s policies for an upcoming presidential election that is used during the campaign to win the support of the voters
In 2008, the Democrats held more than 1,6000 ‘listening sessions’ in communities across all 50 states in which nearly 30,000 people from all walks of life participated
In 2020, the Democrats adopted a new 91 page agenda where as the Republicans kept it the same in response to covid which could show why the Democrats gained more support
McGovern-Fraser Reforms
1972
Changed the function of the NNC to ‘crown’ rather than select a party nominee as party nominees are already known before the convention
The vice president is also no longer selected but showcased as part of a balanced ticket
2016 Election
Clinton won 65,853,514 popular votes which translated to 227 electoral votes where as Trump won only 62,984,828 popular votes which gained him 304 electoral votes which makes the system seem unfair
Electoral College
Established by the founding fathers to elect the president indirectly
Never meet as a whole, rather they meet at state level
Total of 538 votes
Need 270 to win
435 in the house, 100 senators, and 3 from DC as under the 23rd Amendment
48 states are winner takes all
2 use the congressional district method (Nebraska and Maine)
