US Democracy and Participation

Question 1

What are the different types of elections in US

Answer 1

presidential - 4 years to serve two terms
senate - 1/3 elected every 2 years to serve six years
house - 2 years serving two years
gubernatorial, state legislature vary by state

Question 2

What is the constitutional requirements to be president

Answer 2

natural born citizen
at least 35 years old
US resident for at least 14 years old

Question 3

What is the invisible primary

Answer 3

Feb-June of election year
potential candidates get support both political and financial - this is done behind the scenes
more often than not the front runner in this ends up getting the nomination

Question 4

examples from the invisible primaries

Answer 4

Trump - interview on CNN - criticising opponents like Ted Cruz being born in canada
Rick Perry - couldn’t name one of the proposals
Clinton - gain $1.8 million in funding by giving 8 speeches to major banks

Question 5

What are the three types of republican primaries

Answer 5

winner takes all - candidate who gets the most votes gets all the state delegates
proportional- number delegates determined by share of votes
hybrid - delegates allocated proportionally unless someone gets over 50% of cotes

Question 6

What type of primaries do the democrat use

Answer 6

entirely proportional so the candidate must get a majority of delegates to win

Question 7

What is Super tuesday and front loading

Answer 7

super tuesday - multiple states have their primaries in this day and tests the candidate popularity
front loading - when states try to make their primaries earlier as they have more influence

Question 8

Examples of incumbent presidents being challenged in primaries

Answer 8

1976 Ford and 1989 Carter just for a majority but lost elecrion
1968 LBJ and 2024 Biden resigned mid primairss

Question 9

advantages of primaries process

Answer 9

raises key issues before election - unifies party around a consensus
opportunity of participation - hear voters views of candidates
effectiveness of candidates - long and gruelling process and can build reputation e.g Obama
greater choice - 2016 features 22 candidates across both parties

Question 10

disadvantages of primaries

Answer 10

exposes divides - insults can be lasting and people may feel unfulfilled if the person they vote for does not get the nomination
low turnout - 23% in 2020 and caucus 1.6% 2016
imbalance in voting power - open primaries
long and expensive - Ted Cruz announced his candidacy 11montjs before the 1st primary

Question 11

What are the functions the national party conventions serve

Answer 11

formal - elect presidential candidate and vice presidential candidates and decide party platform
informal - promotes party unity, enthuses the party, publicise the candidate to the voters

Question 12

What is the electoral college

Answer 12

electors elect the president from the popular vote - this was set up so the common people don’t have the ultimate say
there are 538 electors
2016 there were 7 faithless electors

Question 13

What are swing states

Answer 13

states that show no bias to either party and where most campaigning takes place
2020 33 out of 40 states saw zero campaign evenga

Question 14

What are the advantages of the electoral college

Answer 14

respects federalism by ensuring smaller states are not dominated
states voting power is not influenced by the our - Oklahoma votes are not on signed by 5.5% teunour xomalread to Minnesota with 80%
grants a mandate so candidates can’t focusly too heavily on cities
faithless electors grant defence on a tyrnncial president

Question 15

disadavtages of electoral college

Answer 15

over representation of smaller states - wyoming has under 600k and gets 3 electives
unfair to third parties - 2016 5% of votes but not elector
swing states determine elector so more focus on them
faithless electors are undemocratic- 2016 7 electors vote against states wowhes

Question 16

What are the pros and cons for scrapping the electoral college

Answer 16

replacing it with direct vote using FPTP - voids winner losing but small states won’t agree and president could have low vote percentage
use instant runoff voting - avoids loser winning and no spoiler effect but smaller states won’t support

Question 17

What are the pros and cons about keeping electoral college

Answer 17

use congressional district system - regions get their own elector but gerrymandering becomes tempting
allowcate electors proportionally - encourage candidates to campaign in all states and could make 3rd parties more tempting to vote dor

Question 18

How can third parties can influence

Answer 18

spoiler effect - they can prevent parties from winning 2000 Nader took votes of Al Gore, 2020 Jorgenoson won more votes than the number separating Biden and Trump
influencing policy - 1992 Perots common sense economics was popular and Clinton and Bush adopted many of these policies

Question 19

What are the details on US two party event

Answer 19

outsiders can use parties to a vehicle to presidency 3.g Trump used to be a democrat
party politics vary per state e.g Texas republican Cole Hefner is very anti abortionwhixh Matt underdspn a republican california is pro choice
both parties are broad churches

Question 20

Why can incumbency be an advantage

Answer 20

lack of primary challenge - only 5 times has the sitting president been defeated and these are outside modern era
citing achievements in office -2011 Obama announced Osama Bin Ladens death
attracting publicity - own press sexreatahe can use rose garden e.g Obama in 2012 about the death of US officials in Benghazi
extra experience

Question 21

What are the exceptions for incumbency

Answer 21

challenges can be damaging e.g Carter in 1980 and Bush in 1992
forced to take personably for failure e.g Carter for weakening america economically and Ytump for covid
media platforms are more level now - 1992 bush criticised for checking watch during debate
more money doesn’t grant success e.g Ford 197) lost despite spending $2 mil more

Question 22

What is the trend with campaign finance

Answer 22

spending goes up until 201)
biggest spender wins every election since 1980 (except 2016)
super PACS since 2016

Question 23

what did the Federal election campaign acts (1971 and 1974) do

Answer 23

placed limits on camping contributions (individual 3,300 and groups 5000)
maximum expenditure
disclosure of sources of contributions
state funding as long as they accept certain limits
established political action committees where groups wishing to donate must register with the federal election commission

Question 24

What were the issues with FECA

Answer 24

weakening of the law - supreme court rulings like Buckley v Valero said this restricted feeedom of speech
soft money - donations taht can avoid regulation by businesses spending money on their own campaign
finished role of federal funding - matching funds not accepted as they are able to generate income that exceeds the limit

Question 25

What were the McCain- Feingold reforms (2002)

Answer 25

banned soft money donations
banned campaigning contributions by foreign nationals
stopped local parties using money for federal candidates
issue advocacy adverts could not be funding directly by corporation nor to be shown within 60days before election
campaign ads must included verbal endorsement by the candiate

Question 26

Citizens United va FEC 2010

Answer 26

the 1st amendment ruling gave rise to super PACs which aimed to influence elections without getting involved in the official campaign

Question 27

What are key differences with the US political spectrum

Answer 27

the centre ground is more to the right
political distances often fluctuates between the two main parties
policies of each party don’t immediately relate to an ideology

Question 28

Differences over the parties policy on crime, moral and social issues

Answer 28

Democrats - rights of the minorities , pro choice, support federal govs role in enforcing this
republicans - traditional values, pro life, support 2nd amendment rights

Question 29

What are the differences in economic policy between the two parties

Answer 29

democrats - cut taxes, help small businesses, resist unfair trade pracyices, continue US global leadership on climate, support border security bill
republican - end inflation, cut gov spending, withdraw from Paris Agreement, impose ideological screening of immigrants

Question 30

Differences in social welfare policies

Answer 30

democrats - strengthen ACA, guaranteed right for IVF, fight to rise minimum wage, oppose private school vouchers
republican - close the Department of Education, cut federal funding for school pushing critical race theory, end taxes on overtime pay

Question 31

What are features of progressive democrats

Answer 31

Bernie Saunders, AOC, Elizabeth Warren
Congressional progressive caucus formed in 1991 and resurged after election of several far left representatives named ‘The Squad’
want a bigger role for federal government to achieve social justice

Question 32

What are the features of moderate democrats

Answer 32

Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi
Democratic leadership council formed in 1985 and disbanded in 2011 and replaced by New Democrat coalition
willingness to comprimise on positions

Question 33

What are the feature of the blue dog democrats

Answer 33

Marie G. Perez
formed in 1995 and taken an electoral hit in 2010s going from 27 to 11 seats in congress

Question 34

What are the features of compassionate conservatives

Answer 34

Susan Collins, George W. Bush, John Mccain
main street caucus formed in 1999 but lost influence and now reffered to as republican in only name (RINO)
can be more socially liberal but often support traditional conservative economic policies
willingness to adpot a bipartisanship way

Question 35

What are features of fiscal conservatives

Answer 35

Andry Harris, Andy Biggs, Anna Paulina
become influential in 1990s when speaker Gingrion wrote ‘Contract with America’
surge under Obama
focus on economy, adovcating a smaller government and laissex faire economy
no comprimise attitude

Question 36

What are features of the religious right

Answer 36

Mike Pence, John Hawley, Jerry Falwell
formation of Moral Majority 1979
support traditional norms and values as part of the wider religious rights
negative view of illega; immigration oppose LGBTQIA+ and aborition rigjts