Elections Flashcards
what do elections not effectively ensure
accountability
what is poor in elections?
turnout
what was the turnout in the 2014 midterms?
it was lower than 40%
why is turnout often unrepresentative?
it often white, male and wealthy. This means that once again there is an imbalance in the way of election outcomes
what substantial obstacles to voting are there
having to register to vote and voter ID laws - Shelby County v Holder 2013
how often are house elections
every 2 years
how often are senate elections
every 6 years
how often are presidential elections
every 4 years
what was turnout in 2020 and 2018
2020 - 68% of eligible voters
2018 - 49% of eligible voters
what measures have helped to enhance turnout
early voting and postal voting
how many postal votes in 2020
65.6 million
what is American turnout comparatively lower than
countries like Germany and England, who are consistently in the 60 and 70% range
what has the frequency of elections led to
politicians trying to meet the needs of wealthy donors
what leads to safe seats and a guaranteed victory
gerrymandering
what is not unheard of
for reps to serve their whole life
