The electoral process and direct democracy

Question 1

What methods are used to select candidates for elected office?

Answer 1

Primaries and caucuses

Question 2

Primaries

Answer 2

• involve a formal secret vote

Question 3

Caucuses

Answer 3

• informal party gatherings that select delegates who in turn choose the candidate

Question 4

National nominating conventions

Answer 4

• held by each party in the summer of the presidential election to formally elect their presidential candidate

Question 5

Direct democracy in the US

Answer 5

• comprises ballot initiatives, recall elections, and referendums
• different states have different arrangements and there is no provision for nationwide referendums like in the UK

Question 6

Voting behaviour

Answer 6

• in the US, race and religion are most significant
• wealth and age also play a role, like in the UK

Question 7

Incumbency

Answer 7

• the high levels of re-election generally enjoyed by existing Congresspeople
• this is normally due to gerrymandering and name recognition

Question 8

Gerrymandering

Answer 8

• the deliberate manipulation of House district boundaries for political advantage, often leading to major distortions between the popular vote and the number of House districts won

Question 9

Example of gerrymandering in North Carolina

Answer 9

• in 2016, the Republicans won just 53% of the popular vote but 77% of the House seats

Question 10

How are electoral college votes allocated?

Answer 10

• every state has a minimum of 3 ECV (as all states have at least 1 senator and 2 representatives)

Question 11

Disproportionally distributed ECV’s

Answer 11

• California has 54 (the most in the US)