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US Politics > Electoral Process And Direct Democracy 28/5 > Flashcards

Electoral Process And Direct Democracy 28/5 Flashcards

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1
Q

3 factors determining electoral outcomes

A

Financing and funding
Media and public opinion
Incumbency

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2
Q

Campaign finance

A

Spending money on campaigns, advertising, polling
2016 trump campaign brought in around $500 million

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3
Q

Media

A

84 million watched the trump and Clinton first debate
May change public opinion

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4
Q

Which case gave business unlimited right to financing elections

A

Citizens United VS FEC

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5
Q

Super PACS

A

Unlimited money

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6
Q

Which act originally limited campaign funding

A

1974 Federal election campaign act

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7
Q

Soft money

A

A way of getting around spending limits, by directing the money to the national party rather than the candidate

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8
Q

Incumbency

A

Strong chance of re election
Strong name recognition
Large funding
Ronald reagen won 99% of the primary vote after running for re election

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9
Q

What is voting behaviour effected by

A

Religion
Race
Gender
Sexuality

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10
Q

How many women voted Clinton 2016

A

54%

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11
Q

How many African Americans voted for Obama in 2008

A

95%

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12
Q

Why do women mostly vote Democrat

A

Pro choice ideology

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13
Q

Turnout in 2016 US election

A

55%

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14
Q

Turnout in 2019 UK election

A

67%

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15
Q

What do US not do that UK does

A

Referendums - would be complicated, time consuming and expensive

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16
Q

How does direct democracy take form

A

Initiatives and propositions

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17
Q

How many states have provision for initiatives

A

24 - prompted by individuals or organisations, requires signatures to end up on a ballot
Can concern issues that become federal policies

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18
Q

Issues with prompts and initiatives

A

Viewed as a threat to representative democracy
Is expensive
HOWEVER - it refreshes the political two party system

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19
Q

Electoral college vote system

A

amount of ECV given to each state = congressional delegation (all have minimum of 3)
Mostly winner takes all, most ECV votes given to winner of most vote
Must win 270 ECV to become president

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20
Q

What is the issues with EC regarding small states

A

It gives them power to influence the outcome, and may be over represented
A candidate may have highest individual popular votes but lowest ECVs e.g. Clinton

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21
Q

What would direct elections cause

A

Prevention of presidents e.g. Trump winning ECV despite losing the popular vote
However it is unlikely to win 50% of popular vote anyway

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22
Q

How long is the general election campaign

A

9 weeks

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23
Q

Who messed up their TV debate against who?

A

Gore against Bush

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24
Q

National party convention importance

A

Enthuse the parties and electorate
Chooses the presidential candidates
Decided the party platform

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25
Q

What was controversial about the republicans in 2016 during the NPC

A

They wanted to overturn obergefell v hodges 2015 which allowed for same sex marriage

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26
Q

What do electoral votes equal

A

2 senators and the number of HORs (determined by population size)

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27
Q

Voter turnout during obamas re election in 2012

A

14.5%

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28
Q

Primaries

A

An election to appoint delegates to a party or candidate

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29
Q

Caucuses

A

Meetings held within states where public debate on election

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30
Q

Three types of primaries

A

Open
Semi closed
Closed

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31
Q

Constitutional requirements for presidency

A

35 years or older
Loved in the US for 14 years
Not served 2 terms
Major party endorsement
Able to raise large sums of money
Experience and popular policy/ ideology

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32
Q

national nomination convention

A

held every 4 years
state delegates from primaries/caucuses are selected to endorse their favourites and the presidential candidates are announced at the end

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33
Q

split ticket voting

A

a practice whereby individual voters spread their votes across multiple parties during an election

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34
Q

split ticket vote example

A

in 2016 PE all voters casted votes forntheor presidential candidate and for a candidate of the HoR in their district

additionally 34 senate positions were contested

therefor could vote Republican Trump and Democrat HoR/Senate

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35
Q

popular vote defintion

A

the choice expressed through the votes cast by the electorate

36
Q

abstention examples

A

2016 - only 55% of VAP

2018 - slight rise only due to “Blue Wave” seen as referendum on Trumps administration

37
Q

3 reasons for low voter turnout

A

alienation - may feel like their vote is wasted e.g a liberal in the south

democracy overload - too many elections

gerrymandering- designing of districts to favour particular voting blocks leading to some feeling like their vote had no value (many in HoR)

38
Q

Other presidential candidate requirements (non-constitutional)

A

political experience
major party endorsements
fund raising potential(Clinton raised $700,000,000

39
Q

7 stage process of PE

A

invisible primary
primary+caucus
choosing VP canidate
NPC
GE campaign
Election Day
ECV

40
Q

closed primary

A

only democrats vote in democrat primary and vice versa
New York has this system

41
Q

open primary

A

any registered voter can vote in the primary of ether party

cross over voting

alabama

42
Q

advantages of the primary system

A

allows the ordinary voter to choose

shows ability of a candidate to fundraise, organise and utilise the media to their benefit

shows any policy issues have any
credibility with the electorate

involves all states including the smaller ones to be noticed

43
Q

disadvantages of primaries

A

costly and lengthy

focus on candidate more than policy - significant in 2020 democratic debates

raiding - rival party vote for weakest candidate to make it easier for their own in open primaries

44
Q

opinions on primaries in 1950s

A

deemed as undemocratic, elitist non parcipiatory and corrupt

used State Party Conventions decisions made by party bosses

45
Q

when was the primary system reformed

A

following events at Dem NPC where convention chose VP Humphrey despite not entering a primary

following Humphrey loss to Nixon, democrats establish McGovern-Fraser Commission to recommend reforms]

commission led to increase in states holding primaries from 1972

46
Q

purpose of national nomination convention

A

strong political importance
more of a coronation
if no clear winner, may lead to brokered convention which delegates are asked to decide on
energise the base of the party
lead to a boost in the polls = political momentum

47
Q

key charecteristics of EC

A

only used for PEs
indirect form of election
‘winner takes all’
a simple majority is needed to win - 270

if there is a tie HoR chooses P Senate chooses VP

48
Q

disadvantages of the EC

A

fails to take into account the PV
-> Clinton won PV but lost ECV by 58 votes
creates a wasted vote syndrome

depresses voter turnout in safe states with winner takes all

ECV based on different US (no mass media, no female vote, no racial diversity)

faithless voters could fail to allow what the state voters wanted the EC voters to do

49
Q

advantages of the EC

A

does allow a clear winner
any change would require difficult ammendment
favours smaller states as a % of the population appear to have more worth
faithless electors never affected the result

50
Q

factors impacting the election

A

money e.g Obama spent 70% of campaign budget on ads and media

Tv debates - 1960 between Nixon and Kennedy (showed Kennedys youth and charisma)

partisan media - increasingly in. the 21st century
trumps reference to fake news

51
Q

Trump focus in 2016

A

immigration
end to globalisation
working class vote in rust belt

52
Q

Reagan focus

A

winning the Cold War
foreign policy

53
Q

trump v Clinton spending

A

Clinton $768m
trump $380m

54
Q

power of incumbency

A

greater name recognition
ability to raise money through strong donor base
perceived successful record
since 1945 only 3 have failed to get a second term of office

55
Q

should campaign be reformed - yes

A

election spending is out of control
frequency and cost of elections = too much spend time raising funds

idea of matched funding has died
in 2000 $240m was given by FEC yet only $1m in 2016 as candidates opted out and fundraised without limits

typically limited by the SC

PACs have big influence

56
Q

campaign finance should not be reformed

A

2016 saw a large reduction in funding

SC holds up first amendment - donations are a form of free speech

funding distraction is not the issue - it is hyperpartisanship

wealthy will always find loopholes

57
Q

what are propositions

A

a mechanism by which citizens can place proposed laws and they promote the notion of legislative laboratories

58
Q

2 types of propositions

A

direct -> goes straight to the ballet
indirect

59
Q

what are recall elections

A

a procedure which enables voters in a state to remove elected officials from office before their term has expired

60
Q

recall election example

A

2003 democratic governor Gary Davis of California lost a recall vote was replaced by republican Arnold Schwarzenegger

61
Q

benefits of recall election

A

increases democratic accountability
makes officials work harder and not become lazy

62
Q

disadvantages of recall elections

A

it can demean the democratic process because of buyers regret
if used to often it would destabilise the governing process

63
Q

referendums

A

laws drawn up by the legislatures and put to the people
a means of vetoing state laws

some states have popular referendum for controversial laws to be put to a PV
2016 - a measure in alabama to altere the procedures for the impeachment of state officials

64
Q

advantages of direct democracy in the US

A

gives people a direct say in what influences them ‘purer’ form
additional check on govt
maintains a high interest in politics/participation
promotes variation in legislation
pressure group involvemnt
-NRA backed a 2014 measure in alabama to strengthen second amendment rights

65
Q

disdavnatges of direct democracy in the US

A

many ballots are held by special interest group which hold extra influence through their members

may restrict govt functioning properly
->prop 13 in cali stopped state legislator raising property tax - now in financial crisis

disadvantages minorities- truly majoritarian form of democracy

tyranny of the majority

stalemate and stalling. limits ability to govern

wealthy pressure groups gives disproportionate influence

66
Q

advantages of propositions

A

higher voter turnout
reforms controversial matters
increases responsiveness of state legislators

67
Q

disadvantages of propositions

A

lack flexibility - can’t be amended after drafting unless adopted
lacks benefits of typical legislative process (debate hearings etc)
vulnerable to the manipulation of special interest groups

68
Q

what are primacy factors

A

long term influences on voting behaviour e.g age,race, political alignment

69
Q

primacy facots examples and 2016 examples

A

race - hispanics, african americans and asians typically vote democrat (88% african americans in 2016)

religion - republican : white evangelical Christians (81% trump)
democrat ; non religious voters (68% clinton)

age - young democrat (55% under 30s)
old = republican (52% over 65s)

70
Q

recency factors

A

short term influences e.g issues and campaigns

71
Q

recency - issues and policies 2016

A

immigration, trade, foreign policy
trump emphasised restricting immigration and imposing tariffs (protectionism)

72
Q

recency - personality/back ground 2016 eg

A

clinton emphasised experiences, trump emphasised his business record and anti-establishment background

73
Q

recency- mood of the nation

A

stong populist sentiment, many worries about future and america place in worl

74
Q

republican core voting coalition

A

white evanglicals, older, social conservatives, gun owners, sububrs/rural, fearful of immigration

75
Q

dem core voting coalition

A

ethnic minorities, young, LGBTQ, blue colla runionised workers

76
Q

re-aligning elections

A

key turning points in voting behaviour, long term shifts in political allegiances

77
Q

Example -1968 Nixon V Humphrey

A

-increasing polarisation and division in US
-the new right increasingly concerned with standing up to USSE in midst of cold war
-democrats moved to more progressive stance on issues e.g. civil rights
-Nixon ran as champion of silent majority (rejected radicalism and liberalism of the time)
–first example of republicans souther strategy to appeal to disaffected whites by passage of civil rights leg
-permanently disrupted democrats New Deal coalition established by FDR in 1930s
-democrats lost the southern supporters
-ushered in republican dominance, party winning 7/10 elections from 1968-2004

78
Q

Example - 2016 Trump v Clinton

A

-viewed as a victory for populism over experience and mainstream politicians
-many previous rust belt e.g. ohio, michigan swung behind trump attracted by his promises ab jobs and trade
-revelaed growing gap between urban and multi-ethnic america and the white rural america
-voter blocs remained the same
-some suggested whites in upper Midwest/rust belt may vote more like southern whites : by the decline of organised labour (TUs) which traditionally helped the democrat gain the blue collar vote

79
Q

political efficacy

A

the sense that ones vote actually makes a difference

80
Q

reasons for low turnout in USA

A

democratic overload
lack of choice from two party dominance
lack of political efficacy

81
Q

hyper-partisanship

A

political parties in fierce disagreement with eachother and largely voting the same way in congress

82
Q

diferential abstention

A

explaining why turnout is traditionally lower among certain groups (e.g. the youth compared to others)

83
Q

electoral system

A

majoritarian (two party dominance)
HoR and senate elected every 2 years

84
Q

how many ECV does california have

A

55

85
Q

constant campaigning

A

sheer number and high frequency of elections
national elections every 2 years involving congressional and state government, governer and judges

86
Q

total cost of 2016 election

A

$6.5 billion

87
Q

propositions example

A

in 2016 71 were voted on
nine states in 2016 held votes on legalising marijuana

US Politics (15 decks)

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