Unit 1 questions Flashcards
What are the three constitutional requirements to be president
Natural born American citizen
Must be at least 35 years old
Residency qualification of 14 years
How often do presidential elections occur
Every 4 years
What does the 22nd Amendment state about the number of terms a president may serve
A candidate must not already have served two terms as president
What is the invisible primary
The period between when a person announces their candidacy and when the actual primaries take place. During this period candidates raise money for their campaign. It is also called the money primary
What are two functions of primaries
Open and closed
What is difference between an open and closed primary
- Open primary is a primary election in which any registered voter can vote in the primary of either party.
- Closed primary is a primary election in which only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary and only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary.
What is the difference between a proportional and a winner-takes-all primary
Winner of the state in a winner-takes-all primary takes all of the delegates.
In a proportional primary the state is divided up into regions and if you win that region you get all the delegates in that region. Winner-takes-all stimulates the electoral college.
What is front loading
The practice of scheduling primaries earlier in the season to increase their impact.
What are the advantages of primaries
- increased political participation
- candidates are appealed to the public
- good test of a candidates energy and durability
- candidates forced to compete across different states
- primaries opened to political activists
What are the disadvantages of primaries
- too much influence on voters
- expensive process
- low voter turnout
- test candidates campaigning qualities rather than their presidential qualities
What are the three informal functions of the National Party Convention
- promoting party unity
- enthusing the party faithful
- enthusing the ordinary voters
What is meant by a balanced ticket
A tactic used by a presidential candidate in selecting the vice-presidential candidate in an attempt to increase voter appeal for their ‘ticket’.
What is party platform
A statement of a party’s policies for an upcoming presidential election that is used during the campaign to win support from voters. It contains the policies that the party’s candidate intends to pursue if elected president
What are the three formal functions of the National Party Convention
- choosing the party’s presidential candidate
- choosing the party’s vice-presidential candidate
- deciding the party platform
When does the general election campaign traditionally begin
Super Tuesday
