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US Democracy Flashcards

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1
Q

How does the electoral process work?

A

1) Announcement/invisible primary
2) Primaries and caucuses
3) National party conventions
4) The campaign
5) Election day
6) Electoral college
7) Inauguration

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2
Q

What is the difference between primaries and caucuses?

A

Primaries - an intra-party election

Caucuses - local party meetings in which open or closed voting takes place

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3
Q

What is the electoral college number dependent on?

A

The population of the state

E.g. (California - 55) (Florida - 27) (Texas - 34)

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4
Q

What is a ‘rouge voter’?

A

Is an elector who does not cast their ECV for the candidate that their state voted for

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5
Q

Advantages of an INVISIBLE PRIMARIES?

A
  • 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
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6
Q

Disadvantages of INVISIBLE PRIMARIES?

A
  • Those able to raise the most money are not necessarily the best candidate
  • The length of the process can cause apathy
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7
Q

Advantages of PRIMARIES AND CAUCUSES?

A
  • Maintains federalism

- Caucuses allow for genuine party involvement

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8
Q

Disadvantages of PRIMARIES AND CAUCUSES?

A
  • Open primaries and caucuses can be ‘sabotaged’

- Low turnout in both especially caucuses

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9
Q

What are some of the reasons for electoral reform?

A
  • Swing states are given too much importance
  • Small states are over-represented
  • Third parties are ignored
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10
Q

What would be a type of electoral reform?

A

-Abolish the EC and replace with direct, national vote. Would require a constitutional amendment, which would be difficult

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11
Q

Is electoral reform necessary for STATES?

A

-The EC retains state power
-It protects the voice of the small states
But larger states are under-represented

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12
Q

Is electoral reform necessary for the PEOPLE?

A

-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

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13
Q

Is electoral reform necessary for the PRESIDENT?

A

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

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14
Q

Is electoral reform necessary for the CONSTITUTION?

A

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

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15
Q

Key principles of the DEMORATS on SOCIAL AND MORAL ISSUES?

A
  • More ‘progressive’ attitude

- More supportive of abortion access and same-sex marriage

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16
Q

Key principles of the REPUBLICANS on SOCIAL AND MORAL ISSUES?

A
  • More ‘conservative’ attitude

- Good proportion of the party believe in the sanctity of life

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17
Q

Key principles of the DEMOCRATS on the ECONOMY?

A
  • 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
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18
Q

Key principles of the REPUBLICANS on the ECONOMY?

A
  • In favour of tax cuts across the board

- Favour minimal government intervention and regulation

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19
Q

Key principles of the DEMOCRATS on WELFARE?

A

-Support healthcare as a right and sought to expand Obamacare

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20
Q

Key principles of the REPUBLICANS on WELFARE?

A
  • An overturned Obamacare to be replaced with a free-market equivalent
  • A strong preference for personal responsibility
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21
Q

Why are interest groups significant?

Parties are weak and fractious

A

This allows interest groups greater access by targeting factions within parties. Party weakness means policies are more flexible and responsive to pressure

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22
Q

Why are interest groups significant?

Number of access points

A

Large number of access points (a point at which groups can apply presure to achieve change) means greater choice for influence

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23
Q

Why are interest groups significant?

Constitutional protection

A

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

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24
Q

What are the factors affecting interest group significance?

A
  • Group finances
  • Group membership
  • Expertise
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25
Q

Group finances are crucial as it may be used to…

A

…hire lobbyists, launch advertising or media campaigns

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26
Q

Factors affecting interest groups significance. Group membership?

A

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

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27
Q

Who and what are Expertise?

A

A group with solid experience in their field is more likely to be able to offer useful reports and lobbying to Congress

28
Q

Which amendment supports lobbying?

A

1st amendment

29
Q

What are the other tactics interest groups use?

A
  • 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)
30
Q

Types of interest groups?

A
  • Policy group
  • Professional groups
  • Single-issue groups
31
Q

What is a policy group?

A

Tries to exert influence over a whole policy area. E.g. UnidosUS tries to exert influence over immigration

32
Q

What are professional groups?

A

Is one which represents the interests of its members. Similar to unions

33
Q

What are single-issue groups?

A

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)

34
Q

What are the 4 types of democracy?

A
  • Liberal
  • Representative
  • Pluralist
  • Constitutional
35
Q

What is a liberal democracy?

A

A democracy that places emphasis on the protection of rights, limited government and free fair elections

36
Q

What is a representative democracy?

A

A democracy that places importance on the representation by elected officials

37
Q

What is a pluralist democracy?

A

A democracy that values the tolerance of views and aide dispersal of power

38
Q

What is a constitutional democracy?

A

A democracy in which all of the systems and processes are laid out in a written democracy

39
Q

PROS of interest groups SCRUTINISING GOVERNMENT?

A
  • 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.
40
Q

CONS of Interest groups SCRUTINISING GOVERNMENT?

A

-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.

41
Q

PROS of interest groups INCREASING REPRESENTATION?

A

-The social make-up of Congress does not reflect society and therefore interest groups can represent underrepresented groups.

42
Q

CONS of interest groups INCREASING REPRESENTATION?

A

-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.

43
Q

PROS of interest groups ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION?

A

-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

44
Q

CONS of interest groups ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION?

A

-Illegal participation is inherently illiberal and undermines “democracy’ more generally.

45
Q

Interest groups ARE influential?

Reports, case, briefs?

A

◾️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

46
Q

Interest groups AREN’T influential?

Unusual for only one group, SC decides, decisions based on constitution?

A

◾️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

47
Q

Influence of interest groups on CONGRESS?

A
  • Lobbying members of Congress

- Giving evidence/information to committee

48
Q

Influence of interest groups on PRESIDENCY?

A
  • Lobbying (of the president, EXOP or executive branch)
  • Electioneering
  • Iron triangles, congressional committee, executive department and interest group all have similar aims
49
Q

Influence of interest groups on the SUPREME COURT?

A
  • 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
50
Q

Advantages of the ELECTORAL COLLEGE?

A
  • Usually this results in the winner gaining a majority of the popular vote
  • States with a small population are still important
51
Q

Disadvantages of the ELECTORAL COLLEGE?

A
  • The winner may not have a majority of votes

- The winner-takes-all nature of state electors mean the population is not adequately represented

52
Q

What are some of the incumbent advantages?

A
  • Government control
  • Campaign experience
  • Presumed success
  • Name recognition
53
Q

Why is Government control an incumbent advantage?

A

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

54
Q

Why is Campaign experience an incumbent advantage?

A

The incumbent candidate has already been through, and won, a campaign. They should be more polished and better rehearsed than a competitor

55
Q

Why is Presumed success an incumbent advantage?

A

Given the history of incumbent success, there is a good degree of belief that the incumbent will be successful regardless of other circumstances

56
Q

What is the current legislation and Supreme Court rulings on campaign finance?

A

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

57
Q

What are Super PACS?

A

Raise unlimited money for political activities; they can support or oppose a candidate but cannot organise this with that person’s campaign organisation

58
Q

What are the factions within the Democrats party?

A

Liberals, conservatives, moderates

59
Q

What are the functions within the Republican Party?

A

Social conservatives, moderates, fiscal conservatives

60
Q

Why IS the USA a two-party system?

A
  • 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
61
Q

Why ISN’T the USA a two-party-system?

A
  • 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
62
Q

What does the ‘Iron Triangle’ consist of?

A
  • Interest Groups
  • Bureaucracy
  • Congress
63
Q

Advantages of NATIONAL PARTY CONVENTIONS?

A
  • Formally announce the party candidate

- TV coverage allows for national involvement

64
Q

Disadvantages of NATIONAL PARTY CONVENTIONS?

A
  • Increasingly presidential and vice-presidential candidates are already known, as is the party platform
  • TV coverage increasingly reduced to acceptance speeches and little more
65
Q

How much was raised for campaign finance in 2012?

A

Saw each candidate raise more than a billion dollars, with each vote costing around $20

US Politics And Government (6 decks)

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