Electoral process flaws and strengths

Question 1

Length of process ;

Give an example to prove that length helps candidates show they are suitable for the job?

Answer 1

2012 Hurricane Sandy ; Obama was able to dominate media coverage and media headlines , at the expense of his rival and showed capability in reacting to national crisis

Question 2

Length of process ;

Long length = voter apathy as seen in what figures found by a Pew research survey ?

Answer 2

• 59% Americans found 2016 president. campaign exhausting , believed that 44% of ‘educational campaign ‘ was about the personal lives of candidates ,
• shown in low turn out -
  US- 2016 - 54.8%

Question 3

Electoral college ;

give example to support argument that a strong government is not always representative of popular sovereignty

Answer 3

• ECV out of step with popular sovereignty, allows for tyranny of the minority ; Trump won with smaller prop. of population - 2.1% less than Clintons.
• Minority states are over represented; 1 ECV for California is representative of 3x as many people as one for Wyoming, these disparities are evident throughout the US.,

Question 4

Electoral college ;

Give a statistical example that supports the argument that the ECV enhances American democracy ?

Answer 4

• It is representative of popular sovereignty because of the winner takes all system heightening the extent of popular sovereignty so that the principle is upheld using FPTP = strong and stable government , uniting the country.
• tyrannous government is difficult because separation of powers enables checks and balances by Congress , 33% bush’s Vetoes were overridden.
• Five times in American history, a presidential candidate has won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College count, all of which haven’t raised large concern over reform and also presidents have been able to overcome difficulties in office ; 2019 Trump impeachment
  9/11 attacks - Bush

Question 5

Primaries ;
give statistical evidence to prove that primaries allow for genuine voter choice with arguably proportional voting systems that result in fair outcomes.

Answer 5

• Obama and Trump were not the frontrunner when their first invisible primaries began and yet they triumphed
• Is becoming less elitist ; Hillary= full war chest with majority 2008 + super pac spending conc on her campaign in 2016
  2016 - Clinton gained the highest no. endorsements before her 1st primary , with insider support suggests elitism
  But trump won despite having raised less than any major party presidential candidate since John Mc Cain= Not elitist anymore

Question 6

Primaries ;

Give an example to show that Primaries are deeply flawed due to influence of party elites ?

Answer 6

many candidates have withdrawn due to a lack of funding necessary for campaigning against elitist figures within parties like Hillary Clinton , Scott Walker withdrew from the presidential race in 2015