PRESIDENTIAL + CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS Flashcards
(17 cards)
constitutional requirements to be president
- natural born american citizen
- at least 35 years old
- resident for at least 14 years
7 stages of the electoral process
- invisible primaries
- primaries and caucuses
- election of VP
- national party candidates
- general election campaign
- election day
- electoral college voting
describe the invisible primary
- the stage in which potential candidates and supporters start launching and hinting at their campaigns
- candidates will use the media to gain coverage, exposure and recognition
- candidates will then formally announce that they want to enter the race
- the winner of the invisible primary is whoever is ahead in the polls in jan of election year
examples of name and money being and not being key in the invisible primary
need money and name:
1. 2015 = hilitary clinton fundraised more than sanders + wins nomination
2. biden spent $115 million on primaries
don’t need money and name:
1. trump raised less than other candidates in 2016 cycle + won
2. 2019 = biden had not fundraised as much as sanders, but was endorsed by 2x the number of politicians
events in the invisible primary
- “cattle show” events - candidates will go to local events to distinguish themselves
- televised debates - rick perry messes up (reputational damage)
disadvantages of the invisible primary / bad for democracy
- high number of candidates - policy is never properly discussed
- only in 2020, only in the final debate was there proper policy discussion between biden + sanders
- voting is based on reputation, not policy - attracts wealthy, famous individuals / need for money
- ie michael bloomberg spent $460 million by jan 2020, pulled out in march 2020
- money gives exposure / less accountability
- success is based on exposure + name recognition
- you can miss early voting - accountable to corporates
- accountable to corporate bodies for sponsorship???
- don’t reflect the views of the average individual
advantages of the invisible primary / good for democracy
- high number of candidates - allows for representation / ideological association
- ie ted cruz visited all 99 counties in iowa
- diversity of candidates and perspective - candidates are chosen based on poll success and popularity
- popular vote at end - constant popular input
- success is based on popular vote - not fully dependent on money
- the individual vote is more important than fundraising, fundraising only helps amplify your message - accountability
- candidates are subject to debates and outings - ensures adequate knowledge
- debate = clear views
describe the primaries and caucuses process, and which states hold them
- main aim is to display popularity of presidential candidates and determine how delegates vote at conventions
- delegates are chosen to represent their party at a convention
- most of the nominated candidates for president win the primaries (not always , ie trump or obama)
primary:
- voters cast secret ballots
caucus: iowa, idaho, nevada etc
- party members meet and discuss candidates
- voters then split into who they want to vote for
- whichever candidate doesn’t reach the threshold is eliminated, the voters who vote for them will then redistribute themselves
disadvantages with caucuses and primaries
- low voter turnout
- poor representation, apathy, no mandate
- 2000 = 19% turnout w no incumbent - heavily ideological turnout at caucuses
- 2016 = sanders won 66% of vote at all caucuses, clinton only won 33%
- concentration on more narrow views
- forces candidates to shift policy to more radical ends to appease voters
- ie harris on fracking (anti-fracking in primaries, pro-fracking at nomination to win PA state)
- binds politicians to specific views and then shift back, which is difficult (don’t fulfills promises + forced representation) - focus on specific states
- politicians focus their campaigning and policies all on the first states to hold primaries
- this is not representative of american society
- ie iowa + NH = 2% of vote, but had significant influence - unrepresentative
- states can be stripped of their delegates at conventions
- voters are older - over-popular input
- candidates chosen by voters - no idea of what the qualities are for president
- compensate by using super-delegates (which do not vote based on popular demand)
advantages with caucuses and primaries
- encourages internal party debate which will make the public more aware of policies
- ie pat buchanan challenged GHB and exposed his policies in debates
- GHB then won the election
- displays to the public how the candidate is damaged and lacks party support (their own policies are used against them) - can boost turnout if they are held early
- ie most mcgovern fraser
- turnout increased from 11 million mid 1900s to 61 million by 2016
- winners are democratically elected (no party influence) - candidate choice
- 2020 = over 30 candidates
- good representation
- ‘outsiders’ can also enter the race
types of delegates + example
pledged delegates and superdelegates
- pledge to vote for a winning candidates
- superdelegates = vote for any candidate at convention (only vote in first round)
democrats in 2020
- 4000 pledged delegates
- 750 unpledged delegates
when are primaries and caucuses typically held
- chosen by state
- usually in the early part of election year
- states organise their primaries early because the first states obtain the most media attention, and give the winning candidate the most media attention
examples of incumbency and its negative impact on caucuses / primaries
- primaries are typically not held if an incumbent runs - ie in 2012, new york, florida etc didn’t hold
- 1984 - reagan wins 99% of primary vote
examples of high and low turnout in primaries / caucuses
low:
- 2020 primaries and caucuses = only 28% of eligible voters
- eligible voters in 2012 drop down to 6.3% in democrat primaries (incumbent)
high:
- 2008 = turnout for obama was at 19.5% of eligible voters (enthusiasm for candidate)
- turnout in montana in 2020 = 46%
mcgovern-fraser commission
- established by democrats
- advocated for greater transparency and voters choosing candidates
- candidates should be based on their share of the votes
- aimed to boost participation in primaries bc individual perspectives are amplified
describe the process of choosing a VP
- VPs are chosen by the frontrunner from the primaries process who will appear at the convention
- they are announced shortly before the convention
advantages + disadvantages of choosing a VP
advantages:
1. promotes a balanced ticket / REPRESENTATION (demographic, geography, age, ideology, gender, religion, experience)
- ie biden, harris
- ie obama and biden (age factor + foreign policy experience)
- enhance political engagement
- it will allow for party unity
- choosing someone as a VP may bridge party divides and polarization and reunify the party, to maximise opportunity to appeal to voters again
disadvantages:
1. your VP will have typically run against you (no loyalty)
2. accountability
- VPs are not directly elected - only accountable to president, and president has the choice on if VP runs with them again
