The Electoral process and direct democracy

Question 1

What is the significance of elections?

Answer 1

The USA has lots of elections and they can vary considerably between states and although most are decided on a winner-takes-all basis, that is not always the case

Question 2

Presidential elections

Give 3 constitutional requirements for a presidential candidate

Answer 2

1. 22nd amendment says president can only serve two terms
2. US born citizen
3. over 35 years old

Question 3

Presidential elections

Give an example of a candidate announcing they will run for president in the invisible primary

Answer 3

2016 Ted Cruz announced his campaign 10 months before republican primary started

Question 4

Primaries and Caucuses

What is a primary

Answer 4

an election to choose each party’s candidate to run for president

Question 5

Primaries and Caucuses

What is a caucus

Answer 5

a meeting to choose a party’s candidate to run for president

Question 6

Primaries and Caucuses

What are the two functions of primaries

Answer 6

1. to choose delegates to go to the national party conventions
2. to see how popular a candidate is through votes

Question 7

Primaries and Caucuses

What is super tuesday?

Answer 7

a day in February or March where many states hold their primaries or caucuses

Question 8

Primaries and Caucuses

Give an example of a state holding a primary

Answer 8

2016 - Iowa caucus was the first primary in the republican and democrat primaries

Question 9

Primaries and Caucuses

What is a closed primary

Answer 9

Only registered republlicans can vote in the republican primary and only registered democrats can vite in the democrat primary

Question 10

Primaries and Caucuses

Give two advantages of primaries

Answer 10

1. primaries give candidates outisde of major political positions a chance to run
2. lengthy process - winner is able to handle the demanding job of president

Question 11

Primaries and Caucuses

Give an example of primaries giving candidates outside of politics an opportunity to run

Answer 11

2016 Donald Trump entered republican primary - no political experience

Question 12

Primaries and Caucuses

Give an example of how primaries present a wide range of candidates

Answer 12

in 2016 primary - republicsn party had 17 candidates

Question 13

Primaries and Caucuses

Give an example of how primaries are an expensive process

Answer 13

2016 Democrat Hilary Clinton raised $275 million

Question 14

Primaries and Caucuses

Give an example of how primaries are unrepresentative

Answer 14

Primary voters are often : more ideological in their political views, wealthier, older and more educated than most Americans

Question 15

Primaries and Caucuses

Give an example of how primaries can become a personal battle rather than about political suitability

Answer 15

2016 Donald Trump insulted many other candidates including Jed Bush whom he called ‘an embrassment to his family’

Question 16

Primaries and Caucuses

Give 3 disadvantages of primaries

Answer 16

1. primary voters are unrepresentative
2. personal battle between candidates
3. low voter turnout for them anyways (especially for incumbent candidates)

Question 17

National Party Conventions

What 2 things happen at national party conventions

Answer 17

1. confirms parties candidate for president and vice president
2. agrees on party policy

Question 18

National Party Conventions

Give 3 informal functions of a national party convention

Answer 18

1. gaining voter attention
2. party unity
3. exicites members of the party and voters for the party

Question 19

National Party Conventions

Give an example of a national party convention benefitting a candidate

Answer 19

1992 Bill Clintons approval ratings went up 16% after the deocrat national convention party

Question 20

Voting behavior

Give an example of how the democrats typically recieve the support of racial minority groups

Answer 20

in 2008 - 95% of Africa-Americans voted for Barack Obama

Question 21

Voting behavior

Give an example of how education affected voting ing the 2016 election

Answer 21

70% of non college educated males voted for Trump and 23% voted for Clinton

Question 22

Voting behavior

Give an example of how gender affected voting in the 2016 general election

Answer 22

54% of women voted for clinton whereas 41% voted for trump

Question 23

Voting behavior

What was the turnout for the 2016 presidential election?

Answer 23

55.7% turnout

Question 24

Voting behavior

What is split ticket voting?

Answer 24

across the ballot paper, people vote for different candidates representing different parties

Question 25

# Voting behavior Give an example of split voting in the 2016 election US

Answer 25

2016 in Pensyllvania they voted for Trump for President, and democrats for state treasurer and attorney general

Question 26

# Voting behavior Give an example of split ticket voting in the 20th century

Answer 26

1980 Reagan - 50% of voters split their vote with working class democrats voting for republican reagan

Question 27

# Voting behavior What is one reason for low voter turnout?

Answer 27

'democratic overload' - citizens are presented with muiltiple opportunities to vote for different offices ki99

Question 28

# Electoral college outcomes What are 3 factors that affect the outcome of elections

Answer 28

1. Policy issues 2. media (tv debates) 3. Voter profile ( type of person voter is)

Question 29

# Electoral college outcomes Give an example of partnerhips affecting election outcomes

Answer 29

2008 Obama + Bidens victory - Balanced ticket with age, race and experience

Question 30

# Electoral college outcomes Give an example of the media affecting election outcomes

Answer 30

TV debates - 2016 Clinton V Trump 84 million viewers

Question 31

# Electoral college outcomes Give an example of voter profile affecting the outcome of elections

Answer 31

In 2020, 84% of registered voters said the COVID-19 outbreak was 'very important' to their vote whereas 24% of Trump Voters said the same

Question 32

# Electoral college outcomes GIve an example of policy issues affecting election outcomes

Answer 32

2001 Bush- poll ratings went up to 90% after his response to 9/11 2005 poll ratings went down to 38% after his 'lacklustre and late' response to hurricane katrine

Question 33

# The US electoral college yes or no define the electoral college

Answer 33

The president is not directly elected by the people - states are given a number of electoral votes based on representation (senators and representatives) and the candidate that wins the majority of electoras votes 270/538 is presidentt

Question 34

# The US electoral college yes or no What are 4 arguments for the electoral college | for

Answer 34

1. prevents domination of larger states - smaller states are represented 2. promotes two-party system and stability 3. provides clear winnner and legitimacy 4. national representation

Question 35

# The US electoral college yes or no GIve a case study to show how the electoral college allows regional balance | for

Answer 35

2016 Trump V Clinton - Trump lost popular vote by almost 3 million votes but won 304 electoral votes shows regional balance and not just population density

Question 36

# The US electoral college yes or no Give a case study to show how the system resolves disputes in close elections without national chaos | for

Answer 36

Supreme court ruling of Bush V Gore - 2000 Ended counts in Floride comfirming Bush 271 electoral votes

Question 37

# The US electoral college yes or no Give a case study to show how Constitutional checks and balances take place in the electoral college system | For

Answer 37

Election of 1800 - HOR deicided between adams and jefferson as there was a tie

Question 38

# The US electoral college yes or no Give 4 reasons against the electoral college | against

Answer 38

1. can overide popular vote - problem of legitimacy 2. disproportional state power 3. disputed state results can threaten a peaceful trasfer of power 4. over focus on swing states

Question 39

# The US electoral college yes or no Give a case study to show how the electoral college overides popular vote and democratic legitimacy | against

Answer 39

in 2016 Hilary Clinton won the popular vote by 3 million but lost the electoral college - does the system reflect will of the people?

Question 40

# The US electoral college yes or no Give an example to show how state power can be disproportional | against

Answer 40

1824 Jackson V Adams - System allows political elites to overide voter prefences house decided adams victory jackson had nmost votes but lost in a contingent election

Question 41

# The US electoral college yes or no Give an example to show how disputes in state results can threaten a peaceful transfer of power | against

Answer 41

in 2020 election Trump challenged state results almost causing a constitutional crisis

Question 42

# The US electoral college yes or no GIve a case study to show swing state focus | against

Answer 42

in 2016 and 2020 election candidiates focused almost entirely on 'battleground states' such as Florida, Pensyllvania and wisconsin

Question 43

# The US electoral college yes or no Give an example of how the elctoral college promotes national representation | for

Answer 43

Electoral college forces candidates to campaign in a wide range of states , preventing a purely urban - focused strategy

Question 44

# Direct democracy in the USA What was the US' first referendum?

Answer 44

1906 - Origon fundng for psychiatric hospitals, schools and prisons bill 62%-37%

Question 45

# Direct democracy in the US Explain the 2022 kentucky referendum

Answer 45

proposed adding language to the US constitution to highlight that it does not create the right or government funding to an abortion Outcome = defeated - language was not added

Question 46

# Direct democracy in the US Explain the 2020 virginia redistricting commission amendment

Answer 46

prosed to approve a bipartisan redistricting committee to draw legislative and congressional maps rather than state legislatures Outcome = passed with 66% maj

Question 47

# Recall elcection What is a recall election

Answer 47

design to remove an elected official mid way through their term - can be seen as a direct form of impeachment

Question 48

# Campaign finance Give an example of when an election was more about money than politics

Answer 48

Nixons re-election campaign - majority of campaign funds came from 'fat-cat' donations from the wealthy

Question 49

# Campaign finance How much money in total was spent on campaign finance in the 2024 election

Answer 49

$17 billion