US Democracy Flashcards
How does the electoral process work?
1) Announcement/invisible primary
2) Primaries and caucuses
3) National party conventions
4) The campaign
5) Election day
6) Electoral college
7) Inauguration
What is the difference between primaries and caucuses?
Primaries - an intra-party election
Caucuses - local party meetings in which open or closed voting takes place
What is the electoral college number dependent on?
The population of the state
E.g. (California - 55) (Florida - 27) (Texas - 34)
What is a ‘rouge voter’?
Is an elector who does not cast their ECV for the candidate that their state voted for
Advantages of an INVISIBLE PRIMARIES?
- Identifies candidates able to gain enough support/money e.g. Trump
- Allows for a range of candidates e.g. 2016 28 candidates
- Candidates are well scrutinised
Disadvantages of INVISIBLE PRIMARIES?
- Those able to raise the most money are not necessarily the best candidate
- The length of the process can cause apathy
Advantages of PRIMARIES AND CAUCUSES?
- Maintains federalism
- Caucuses allow for genuine party involvement
Disadvantages of PRIMARIES AND CAUCUSES?
- Open primaries and caucuses can be ‘sabotaged’
- Low turnout in both especially caucuses
What are some of the reasons for electoral reform?
- Swing states are given too much importance
- Small states are over-represented
- Third parties are ignored
What would be a type of electoral reform?
-Abolish the EC and replace with direct, national vote. Would require a constitutional amendment, which would be difficult
Is electoral reform necessary for STATES?
-The EC retains state power
-It protects the voice of the small states
But larger states are under-represented
Is electoral reform necessary for the PEOPLE?
-The EC arguably is in line with the Constitutional principle of avoiding ‘tyranny of the majority’
-The two-party system gives the voters real choice
But in 2 of the last five elections, the popular vote has not been respected
Is electoral reform necessary for the PRESIDENT?
A decisive and respected outcome is usually the result. 2000 reflectively smooth in the circumstances but it encourages him to pay more attention to only swing states
Is electoral reform necessary for the CONSTITUTION?
The EC does work as the Founding Fathers intended, keeping presidency away from a popular vote but it makes the Constitution look outdated in 21st-century US
Key principles of the DEMORATS on SOCIAL AND MORAL ISSUES?
- More ‘progressive’ attitude
- More supportive of abortion access and same-sex marriage
Key principles of the REPUBLICANS on SOCIAL AND MORAL ISSUES?
- More ‘conservative’ attitude
- Good proportion of the party believe in the sanctity of life
Key principles of the DEMOCRATS on the ECONOMY?
- In favour of tax cuts, but with a focus on the lower and middle classes
- Accept government regulation as needed
- Call for federal minimum wage
Key principles of the REPUBLICANS on the ECONOMY?
- In favour of tax cuts across the board
- Favour minimal government intervention and regulation
Key principles of the DEMOCRATS on WELFARE?
-Support healthcare as a right and sought to expand Obamacare
Key principles of the REPUBLICANS on WELFARE?
- An overturned Obamacare to be replaced with a free-market equivalent
- A strong preference for personal responsibility
Why are interest groups significant?
Parties are weak and fractious
This allows interest groups greater access by targeting factions within parties. Party weakness means policies are more flexible and responsive to pressure
Why are interest groups significant?
Number of access points
Large number of access points (a point at which groups can apply presure to achieve change) means greater choice for influence
Why are interest groups significant?
Constitutional protection
The Constitution protects the rights of groups to exist, but also gives them judical recourse if their rights are infringed by challenging infractions in the Supreme Court
What are the factors affecting interest group significance?
- Group finances
- Group membership
- Expertise
Group finances are crucial as it may be used to…
…hire lobbyists, launch advertising or media campaigns
Factors affecting interest groups significance. Group membership?
1) The more members you have, the more voters a Congressional politician stands to gain by listening to you
2) More members means more chance to organise events, protests, campaigns and so on
Who and what are Expertise?
A group with solid experience in their field is more likely to be able to offer useful reports and lobbying to Congress
Which amendment supports lobbying?
1st amendment
What are the other tactics interest groups use?
- Publicity and media
- Congressional report cards and funding
- Legal methods (Amicus curiae brief in support of free speech in Snyder v Phelps)
- Protests and demonstrations (Women’s March on Washington organised a protest against NRA in 2017)
Types of interest groups?
- Policy group
- Professional groups
- Single-issue groups
What is a policy group?
Tries to exert influence over a whole policy area. E.g. UnidosUS tries to exert influence over immigration
What are professional groups?
Is one which represents the interests of its members. Similar to unions
What are single-issue groups?
Tries to exert influence around one small, specific area (NRA, doesn’t appear to have a natural link to ‘right to bear arms’, who are against gun control)
What are the 4 types of democracy?
- Liberal
- Representative
- Pluralist
- Constitutional
What is a liberal democracy?
A democracy that places emphasis on the protection of rights, limited government and free fair elections
What is a representative democracy?
A democracy that places importance on the representation by elected officials
What is a pluralist democracy?
A democracy that values the tolerance of views and aide dispersal of power
What is a constitutional democracy?
A democracy in which all of the systems and processes are laid out in a written democracy
PROS of interest groups SCRUTINISING GOVERNMENT?
- Interest groups scrutinise government decisions and protest them in their own interest
- A successful outcome is an excellent result for the limited government of a liberal democracy and dispersal of power of a pluralist democracy.
CONS of Interest groups SCRUTINISING GOVERNMENT?
-Changing the minds of those who have
been elected on a platform could be seen as a negative argument for representative democracy.
-‘Buying’ access through lobbying could be seen to contravene the idea of ‘free and fair’ elections in the USA.
PROS of interest groups INCREASING REPRESENTATION?
-The social make-up of Congress does not reflect society and therefore interest groups can represent underrepresented groups.
CONS of interest groups INCREASING REPRESENTATION?
-This directly undermines representative
democracy, which places power in the hands of the elected; frequent elections in the USA give the electorate plenty of chance to change their representative.
-It can encourage a ‘tyranny of the minority’ which is contrary to pluralist democracy.
PROS of interest groups ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION?
-Interest groups allow the disaffected and apathetic to be involved in an area of politics which most interests them; this is especially important in the USA’s two-party system as encouraged by the constitutional democracy
CONS of interest groups ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION?
-Illegal participation is inherently illiberal and undermines “democracy’ more generally.
Interest groups ARE influential?
Reports, case, briefs?
◾️Groups can submit reports to Congress on proposed bills and may even be asked to give evidence in committee. E.g. reportcards seen to influence Congressmen, reports on how they vote
◾️Groups can bring cases to the Supreme Court.
◾️Groups can arrange amicus curiae briefs for the Supreme Court e.g. this happened Obergefall v Hodges 2015
Interest groups AREN’T influential?
Unusual for only one group, SC decides, decisions based on constitution?
◾️It would be unusual for only one group to be involved in this manner and therefore not be as influential, allocating influence is seen to be difficult
◾️Ultimately, the Supreme Court decides which of the 8,000 cases it receives it will hear e.g. only 100-60 are chosen and heard
◾️The Supreme Court is ultimately only allowed to make its decisions on the basis of the US Constitution. E.g even in controversial cases involving gun violence, or Snyder v Phelps 2011 upheld 1st amendment
Influence of interest groups on CONGRESS?
- Lobbying members of Congress
- Giving evidence/information to committee
Influence of interest groups on PRESIDENCY?
- Lobbying (of the president, EXOP or executive branch)
- Electioneering
- Iron triangles, congressional committee, executive department and interest group all have similar aims
Influence of interest groups on the SUPREME COURT?
- Amicus curiae - an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case.
- Protests outside court
Advantages of the ELECTORAL COLLEGE?
- Usually this results in the winner gaining a majority of the popular vote
- States with a small population are still important
Disadvantages of the ELECTORAL COLLEGE?
- The winner may not have a majority of votes
- The winner-takes-all nature of state electors mean the population is not adequately represented
What are some of the incumbent advantages?
- Government control
- Campaign experience
- Presumed success
- Name recognition
Why is Government control an incumbent advantage?
As the head of the government and head of state the incumbent president is able to undertake vote-winning behaviour in the run-up to the election for example, Obama introduced DACA in August 2012, just months before the election
Why is Campaign experience an incumbent advantage?
The incumbent candidate has already been through, and won, a campaign. They should be more polished and better rehearsed than a competitor
Why is Presumed success an incumbent advantage?
Given the history of incumbent success, there is a good degree of belief that the incumbent will be successful regardless of other circumstances
What is the current legislation and Supreme Court rulings on campaign finance?
2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold reform): banned soft money (which is money donated to political parties in a way that leaves the contribution unregulated)
2010 Citizens United v FEC: Supreme Court ruling which resulted in the development of Super PACS
What are Super PACS?
Raise unlimited money for political activities; they can support or oppose a candidate but cannot organise this with that person’s campaign organisation
What are the factions within the Democrats party?
Liberals, conservatives, moderates
What are the functions within the Republican Party?
Social conservatives, moderates, fiscal conservatives
Why IS the USA a two-party system?
- The use of FPTP encourages a two-party system
- The ‘broad church’ (includes some aspects of both parties) ideology of US political parties
- The Electoral College, which encourages a two-horse race
Why ISN’T the USA a two-party-system?
- Some states are solidly Democrat or Republican, making the situation within those states effectively one-party
- The breadth of both parties could mean that talking of ‘two’ parties is inaccurate, with the similarities being greater than differences
- Third parties have had an increasing impact on US politics, with the vote share tripling in 2016
What does the ‘Iron Triangle’ consist of?
- Interest Groups
- Bureaucracy
- Congress
Advantages of NATIONAL PARTY CONVENTIONS?
- Formally announce the party candidate
- TV coverage allows for national involvement
Disadvantages of NATIONAL PARTY CONVENTIONS?
- Increasingly presidential and vice-presidential candidates are already known, as is the party platform
- TV coverage increasingly reduced to acceptance speeches and little more
How much was raised for campaign finance in 2012?
Saw each candidate raise more than a billion dollars, with each vote costing around $20
