Electoral and Party Systems

Question 1

Explain and analyse 3 ways that Structural theory could be used to compare election cycles

Answer 1

1. US election cycles more rigid
   US every 2,4,6 years
   UK max 5 yrs resulting in close elections 2017 and 19 or 2 in 1974
   FTP 2011 attempts to make more structured but dissolution in 2022 resorted pm power to call through prerogative powers
2. Election in-between GE more significant in US
   US midterms UK EU till 2020
   2022 UK local election Lib Dems gained the most seats, Tories lost more than 300 seats but no national change from it
   2022 midterms Reps took house making it difficult for Dems to pass leg or appoint judges etc
3. US limited presidential terms
   2 due to 22nd amendment creates LDP in final 2 years means little domestic achievements then
   FDR is an exception lasted 4 terms
   UK is unlimited but rare to go beyond 3 terms Blair 1997- 2007 Thatcher 1979-90 exceptions

Question 2

E+A 3 reasons why the US might be described as a 2 party system

Answer 2

1. Ballot limitations
   Presidential candidate filing fee Oklahoma 2020 was $35,000
   Alabama needs signatures from 3% of total voters in last election
   Done by the parties to not damage their support
2. Lack high- profile media
   To be in a TV debate must poll 15% or higher in 5 designated polls yet cant get the publicity to do well in these polls
   Often labelled as extremist or irrelevant as Dem represent environment instead of green party by taking the Green New Deal 2018 2020
3. No impact on Presidential elections
   True for 2012 and 2016
   2020 2 main parties took 98% of the vote
   Haven’t won an ECV since George Wallace 1968
   2020 Jo Jorgensen potential spoiler for Trump gained 62,000 votes in Georgia

Question 3

E+A 3 ways that rational theory could be used to study campaign finance in the UK and US

Answer 3

Rational- Why indv act

1. Concentrate campaign finance on swing states e.g. Florida and the two Bury constituencies
   Easier in US than UK due to tighter control of spending in UK for individual seats
2. Pressure groups have less incentive to spend in UK campaigns due to stricter rules. In the US the League of Conservative Voters spent $85 million on electoral campaigning in 2018 to get the Dems the HOR, nearly 60 of their new congressional candidates were elected. Not possible in UK due to charity law.
   This means the cost of elections are more substantial in the US and that pressure groups are strongly aligned to parties. NRA Rep, LoCV Dem. Closest thing in UK are trade unions e.g. Unite donate to Labour.
3. Time rationally spent on fundraising due to the belief that outspending the opposition mean you will win. 2019 UK election Con spend £16 mill 2012 US election.
   US money is spent on attack ads and both use social media
   2016 Clinton spent more than Trump yet Trump got free advertising for saying controversial things on the news

Question 4

E+A 3 ways cultural theory could be used to study elections in the UK and US

Answer 4

History and political tradition

1. Personality over parties in US elections not UK.
   MAGA is related to Trump more than the Rep. Increasingly in the UK e.g. Get Brexit Done associated with Boris not all Cons.
   Increase of TV debates in UK that has been a tradition in the US.
   Boris didnt do Andrew Neil interview yet still elected
2. Both ethnic and social classes tend to vote a certain way in both countries
   AA vote democrats JFK received 70% of theirs
   Middle class typically vote conservative
   2019 Conservatives picked up working class seats in midlands and North East partly for Brexit
   Southern Strategy Reps collected more white southern voters
3. Elections in choosing candidates
   US primary system no equivalent in UK
   primaries, while more democratic, create more job insecurity for incumbents due to fears of being primaried, e.g. Dan Lipinski by Marie Newman. Creates factions does not make party look united.
   UK far less likely may be deselected but only a threat to 1980s labour party