US Democracy and Participation

Question 1

presidential election process

Answer 1

• invisible primary (name recognition)
• primaries + caucuses ( choose delegates to attend national party conventions)
• choose vice presidrntial candidates
• national party conventions ( confirm vice/presidential candidates)
• general election campaign ( campaign between the candidates of the various parties)
• election day
• electoral college voting ( electors vote in their state capitals to choose prezzy + vice prezzy)

Question 2

invisible primaries

Answer 2

candidate announcements
- support shown through opinion polls

televised party debates
- often is a media circus : ben carson, unsuccessful candidate commented ‘‘we’re dealing with sound bites as opposed to being able to explain something in depth’

fundraising
- money good for campaign + advertisement
- donald trump/michael bloomberg can self finance
- most get money from interest groups/donors
- in 2020 biden spent $116 mill but michael bloomberg who spent $409 didn’t even make final 2

front runners
- conventionally it’s important to end as the front-runner
- 2016 hilary clinton was leading by 14 points and donald trump leading by 16 which was accurate
- but in 2020 joe biden was ahead of all the polls, had 46 endorsements from senators and govs but when it came to fundraising by the end of 2019 sanders was in front while Biden trailed 5 th which shows this stage of nom process is a bad predictor

Question 3

caucuses

Answer 3

caucuses
- held by states that are large and thinly populated e.g. Iowa
- in a caucus people go to meetings instead of polling stations
- turnout is a lower so caucuses favour ideological candidates

Question 4

primaries

Answer 4

• show popularity of presidential candidates & to choose delegates to go to national party conventions
• some states e.g. new hampshire do it early to be prominent (known as front loading)
• in closed primaries only registered party voters can vote in that specific primary
• open primaries mean cross-over voting. E.G. 2012 Wisconsin Republican open primary 11% said they were dem voters. although mitt romney beat Rick Santorum in primary overall by 44%, among dems santorum beat romney by 20 % which suggests dems were deliberately casting a vote for an easier opponent.
• incumbent presidents are usually renominated by their parties e.g. Trump only faced unserious challengers like Bill Weld

Question 5

national party convention

Answer 5

• meeting held every 4 years by each of the 2 major parties to select presidential candidates and agree the party platform

FUNCTIONS
Choosing parties presidential candidate:
- candidate must receive majority of the delegate votes but delegates are free agents so can vote for whoever which leads to factionalism
- brokered convention is when no candidate achieves sufficient delegates during primaries + caucuses to have a majority in first ballot
- all about displays of unity

• deciding party platform

Question 6

informal functions of national party convention

Answer 6

Promoting Party Unity
- republican covention 2016 was less successful as a number of prominent rebuplicans didnt support trump
- democratic primary race 2020 biden and harris had friction when harris brought up Biden’s views against the policy of busing (promote desegregation) BUT democratic party convention gave them a chance to show unity so harris and Biden praised eachother

Enthusing the party faithful
- it is vital that party faithful in the 50 states stay motivated e..g 2020 ex first lady michelle obama made speech at dem convention