Elections Flashcards
what are the 4 features of US election laws?
- Who?
- How?
- Where?
- What it takes to win.
4 main features of election laws
who?
The US provides for universal adult suffrage: all citizens above the age of 18 have the right to vote.
4 main features of election laws
how?
Americans vote in secret and choose among candidates for office using a form of ballot called the Australian ballot.
4 main features of election laws
where?
The US selects almost all elected officals through single-member districts that have equal populations.
4 main features of election laws
what it takes to win
the candidate that wins a plurality wins the election, whether or not that person wins a majority of the votes
turnout rate
number of people who vote in a given election divided by the number of people who would have been allowed to vote in it
past methods to limit voter participation
- property ownership and literacy requirements
- poll taxes
- race and gender restrictions
- placement of polls and scheduling of polling hours
- voter registration rules
current limits on participation
- restrictions for convicted felons, vary from state to state
- some restrictions on voter registration
what do limits on voter registration do
they tend to depress participation of the poor and uneducated
australian ballot
an electoral format that presents the names of all the candidates for any given office on the same ballot, kept secret
single-member districts
an electoral district that elects only one representative- the typical method of representation in the US
electoral college
institution established by the constitution for the election of the president and vice president. Every 4 years, voters in each state and DC elect electors who cast votes for the president and vice president. The candidate that recieves the majority of the electoral vote is elected, favors smaller states, would have to amend constitution to get rid of it
gerrymandering
the drawing of electoral districts in such a way as to give advantage to one political party
plurality rule
type of electoral system in which victory in an election goes to the individual that gets the most votes, but not necessarily a majority of the votes cast
majority rule
type of electoral system, in which to win an office, a candidate must receive a majority of all the votes cast in a relevant district
proportional representation (PR)
multiple-member district system that awards seats to political parties in proportion to the percentage of the vote that each party won
referendum
direct vote by the electorate on a proposed law that has been placed by the legislative or on a specific governmental action
initiative
a process by which citizens may petition to place a policy proposal on the ballot for a public vote
recall
removal of a public offical by popular vote
party identification
an individual’s attachment to a particular political party, which may be based on issues, ideology, past experience, upbringing, or a combination of these elements
issue voting
an individual’s tendency to base the decision of which candidate/ party to vote for on the candidate/ party’s position on specific issues
prospective voting
voting based on the imagined future of a candidate/party
retrospective voting
voting based on the past performance of a candidate/party
how voters decide:
partisan loyalty
most amerticans identify with either the democratic or republican party, and party loyalty rarely changes
how voters decide:
issues
voters may choose a candidate that has views they agree with on a particular issue, even if they disagree on other ones
how voters decide:
candidate characteristics
voters are more likely to support a candidate with similar backgrounds, views, and perspectives (race, ethnicity, religon, gender, geography, social background, etc.), as well as personality charecteristics
political action committee
a private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns, individuals can only give $3,000, PAC’s allow people to bundle money
office-block ballot
every candidate for a particular office are grouped together, harder to vote straight ticket
NC’s ballot type
indiana ballot
offices are presented in rows, parties are listed in rows, easier to vote straight ticket
split ticket voting
voting for members of both parties on one ticket
hanging chads
issue in the 2000 election
2000 election and Florida
florida had to do a recount, hanging chads made it hard for decide who got the vote, lead to the Bush v Gore case
Open Primary
doesn’t matter which party you’re registered with, you get to pick your ballot
Closed Primary
can only vote in the the primary for whatever party you’re registered with, independents can’t participate
Semi-Open Primary
if you are registered with a particular party, you can only vote in that party’s primary, independents get to choose
Caucuses
1 evening with a set time, everyone assigned to a location shows up at the starting time
talk to neighbors, they tell each other who they support and why and vise versa
they separate, go to opposite sides of the room, and count how many people support each candidate
process is repeated until there is a majority supporting one candidate
Conventions
convention for the delegates who get voted to vote in the election
parties also hammer out political platforms
more than anything it’s a giant pep rally for the party
General Election Campaign
When they start fighting against representatives
when you vote, you vote for the representatives, not the president
Electoral College Representatives
number of representatives + number of senators
all but 2 states use a winner takes all method when choosing the representatives
Maine and Nebraska use a proportional choosing systyem
What happens if there’s a tie in the electoral college?
- House votes by state (50 votes)
- senate votes for the vice president
Federal Election Campaign Act
initiated fundamental changes in Federal campaign finance laws. The FECA, effective April 7, 1972, not only required full reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures, but also limited spending on media advertisements.
Buckley v. Valeo
SCOTUS said that money is speech, and political speech is protected
they did enact a limit of $3,000
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
corporations are people and have free speech, so they should be allowed to give money to campaigns
corporations can now donate unlimited amounts of money to political campaigns
this created super PACs
super PACs
PACs that corporations can participate in
why political spending has increased so much
McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission
got rid of the 20,000 dollar cap
individuals can give $3,000 dollars to as many candidates as you want
