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A Level US Politics > US Elections > Flashcards

US Elections Flashcards

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U.S. Geography flashcards
1
Q

How often do fixed term elections get held?

A

Every 4 years

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2
Q

Who becomes president if the president dies, is removed or impeached

A

The Vice President automatically and immediately becomes president and serves the remainder of the presidents term.

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3
Q

When do fixed term elections take place?

A

Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

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4
Q

Requirements for a presidential candidate

A
  • natural born US citizen
  • at least 35
  • resided with the USA for at least 14 years
  • not already served 2 terms
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5
Q

Other extra constitutional requirements to be a president?

A 
Political experience (although Eisenhower and trump had none)
Major party endorsement
Ability to raise large sums  of money 
Effective organisation 
Sounds and relevant policies
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6
Q

The stages in a presidential election

A
  1. The invisible primary
  2. Primaries and caucuses
  3. Choosing Vice President
  4. National party conventions
  5. General election campaign
  6. Election day
  7. electoral college voting
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7
Q

Define invisible primary

A

The period between candidates declaring an intention to run for the presidency and the first primaries and caucuses

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8
Q

Features of the invisible primary

A
  • candidate announcements
  • televised party debates
  • fundraising
  • higher national recognition for lesser known candidates
  • opinion polls
  • endorsements by leading party figures
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9
Q

Is the invisible primary important? YES leading in polls

A

The candidate leading in the polls at the end of the invisible primary is very often the one eventually chosen after the primaries

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10
Q

Is the invisible primary important? YES

Candidates drop out

A

Some candidates drop out during this period

Eg 15 democrats dropped out before the first state voted in 2020

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11
Q

Is the invisible primary important? YES Fundraising

A

They are critical for fundraising as the primaries and caucuses are packed into the early months of election year

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12
Q

Is the invisible primary important? YES First Impressions

A

First impressions in the televised party debates are important

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13
Q

Is the invisible primary important? No win then lose

A

It’s possible to ‘win’ the invisible primary but go on to lose the nomination e.g democrat hillary Clinton in 2007-08

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14
Q

Is the invisible primary important? No Drop out

A

Candidates who drop out don’t do so just because of the invisible primary but bc they are ill qualified and/or unpopular candidates

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15
Q

Is the invisible primary important? No Campaigning skills

A

It does not test campaigning skills as well as the primaries do, and especially the caucuses

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16
Q

Is the invisible primary important? No Performance in debates and polls

A

The focus is mainly on performance rather than on policies

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17
Q

What stage in the presidential election is primaries and caucuses?

A

The second stage

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18
Q

Where are primaries held?

A

Held in mid to large population states eg California, New York, Alabama

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19
Q

Where are caucuses held?

A

Are held in small to mid population states, and especially in geographically large states with small populations
Eg. Iowa Nevada and Wyoming

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20
Q

What happened to the use of caucuses in 2020?

A

They declined significantly due to the restrictions because of the covid 19 pandemic

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21
Q

What are the 2 main functions of primaries and caucuses?

A

To show popularity for candidates among ordinary voters
To choose delegates to go to the national party conventions

State parties decide whether to hold a primary or caucuses

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22
Q

Who decides on the timing of primaries and caucuses?

A

States decide, the usual window is January/February to June of an election year

Some states schedule early contest (Iowa and New Hampshire)

Some states deliberately coincide their contests on the same day of those of neighbouring states creating a regional primary. Eg. Super Tuesday

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23
Q

Election cycles between 1984 and 2008 saw an increase in what?

A

Front loading, with more states pushing their dates earlier in the cycle.

Although 2012 and 2016 saw some slippage in this trend, front loading was much in evidence again in 2020

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24
Q

Define primary

A

A state based election to choose a party’s candidate for the presidency by showing support for candidates among ordinary voters. Primaries also select delegates to represent the state party at the national party conventions

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25
Q

Define caucuses

A

A state based series of meetings to choose a party’s candidate for the presidency. They usually attract unrepresentative and low turnouts

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26
Q

What’s Super Tuesday?

A

A Tuesday in February or early march when a number of states coincide their presidential primaries and caucuses to try to gain influence

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27
Q

What’s front loading?

A

The phenomenon by which states schedule their primaries or caucuses earlier in the nomination cycles in an attempt to increase their importance

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28
Q

How many can we classify primaries?

A

2
Who is allowed to vote in them
How delegates are awarded in them

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29
Q

Classify primaries by who can vote, how many types?

A

3
Open primaries
Closed primaries
Modified primaries

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30
Q

What’s an open primary?

A

In which any registered voter can vote in either party’s primary

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31
Q

What’s a closed primary?

A

In which only registered democrats can vote in the democratic primary, and the same with republicans

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32
Q

What’s a modified primary?

A

Like closed primaries, but also allow registered independents to vote in either parties primary

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33
Q

Classifying primaries by how delegates are awarded, how many types?

A

2
Proportional primaries
Winner take all primaries

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34
Q

What’s a proportional primary?

A

In which delegates are awarded to the candidates in proportion to the votes they get
(There’s normally a threshold a candidate must reach to win any delegates, usually 10 to 15%)

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35
Q

What’s a winner takes all primary?

A

In which whoever gets the most votes in the primary wins all the states delegates (allowed only in the Republican Party)

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36
Q

Who traditionally holds the first presidential caucuses?

A

Iowa

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37
Q

What’s the outcome of iowas caucus?

A

They often attract very low turnout (just 2108 voters in 2012 republican caucuses)

Turnout is also unrepresentative because Iowa is more than 90% white and caucuses also tend to attract the more ideological voters

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38
Q

Who traditionally holds the first presidential primary?

A

New hampshire

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39
Q

What’s the outcome of New Hampshire primary?

A

It often attracts a high turnout 42% in 2020
It’s possible to lose the New Hampshire primary but still win the party nomination
E.g joe Biden democrats in 2020

The most important thing for a candidate is live up to or exceed expectations

Winning the New Hampshire primary boosts opinion polls numbers, media coverage and money

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40
Q

Do incumbent presidents have to compete in their parties primaries?

A

Yes Obama in 2012

But little or no attention is given to these primaries

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41
Q

How much of the vote did Obama and trump win on incumbent primaries?

A

Obama 92% 2012

trump 90% 2020

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42
Q

How does the voter turnout change if an incumbent president faces a challenge in their primary?

A

Eg jimmy carter facing senator edward Kennedy in the 1980 democratic primaries: George bush facing pat buchanan in 1992

It was not coincidental that, although carter and bush won their primaries, they both went on to lose in the general election, having being politically damages in the primaries

They key for incumbent presidents is to avoid a serious primary challenge

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43
Q

What’s the normal voter turnout in primaries?

A

Low 20 to 30% of eligible voters

Turnout varies from state to state eg in 2020 it varied from 46% in the Montana primaries to just 9% in the Iowa caucuses

Turnout is higher in primaries than in caucuses

44
Q

Factors that affect turnout in primaries and caucuses?

A

Demography
Type of primary
Competitiveness
Timing

45
Q

Voter turnout - demography

A

Turnout is higher among more educated, higher-income and elderly voters

46
Q

Voter turnout - type of primary

A

Open primaries tend to attract higher turnout as more people are eligible to vote in them

47
Q

Voter turnout - competitiveness of the nomination race

A

Turnout is higher if the nomination race is competitive; lower if its a one horse race

48
Q

Voter turnout - timing

A

Primaries that are held after the nomination has effectively been decided attract lower turnout than those held when the race is still open

49
Q

Why was primary turnout boosted in 2020?

A

Because covid increased the use of postal balloting

50
Q

Are primaries important - YES - presidential candidates

A

The presidential candidates emerge during them

51
Q

Are primaries important - YES Candidates eliminated

A

A large number of candidates are eliminated by them

52
Q

Are primaries important - YES Delegates

A

Delegates (who make the final decision about the candidate) are chosen by them

53
Q

Are primaries important - YES Media

A

They attract a large amount of media attention

54
Q

Are primaries important - YES Lesser known candidates

A

Lesser known candidates see them as a way of boosting name recognition

55
Q

Are primaries important - YES Test skills

A

They test some presidential skills eg. Organisational, presentational

56
Q

Are primaries important - YES More important

A

They are much more important than they used to be before the McGovern - Fraser reforms (1970s)

57
Q

Are primaries important - NO - invisible primaries

A

Primaries often merely confirm decisions made during ‘invisible primary’

58
Q

Are primaries important - NO Media

A

What goes on in the media (eg. Televised debates) is often more important

59
Q

Are primaries important - NO Skills

A

Many presidential skills are not tested eg ability compromise, ability to work with congress

60
Q

Are primaries important - NO - delegates

A

Many primaries choose so few delegates that they cannot be regarded as important

61
Q

Advantages of primaries - participation

A

Increased levels of participation by voters

62
Q

Advantages of primaries - Choice

A

Increased choice of candidates

63
Q

Advantages of primaries - gruelling

A

A gruelling race for a gruelling job

64
Q

Disadvantages of primaries - voter apathy

A

Can lead to voter apathy

65
Q

Disadvantages of primaries - Representativeness

A

Voters are often unrepresentative

66
Q

Disadvantages of primaries - Process

A

Process is too long, too expensive, too dominated by the media

67
Q

Disadvantages of primaries - Bitter

A

Can develop into bitter, personal battles

68
Q

Disadvantages of primaries - Peer review

A

Lack of peer review

69
Q

Disadvantages of primaries - Super delegates

A

Role of ‘super delegates’ if the nomination is not decided on the first ballot

70
Q

Ways to improve the nomination process:

A
  • abolish the caucuses and replace them with primaries
  • do away with closed primaries, thereby increasing voter eligibility
  • rotate the order of primaries to increase geographic and demographic diversity
  • allow candidates to select their own delegates rather than having them allocated by the state party
  • institute 4 regional primaries, held on the first Tuesdays of march, April, may, June
  • hold a national primary
71
Q

Choosing vice presidential candidates:

A
  • confirmed by a majority vote of delegates at the national party convention
  • big media event
  • can give president boosts in the poll
72
Q

Different strategies for choosing their running mate

A
  • a balanced ticket e.g. Biden - Harris
  • potential for government e.g. trump - pence
  • party unity
73
Q

Define balanced ticket:

A

A pairing of presidential and vice presidential candidates Ona ticket, who attract support for different reasons, thereby making the broadest appeal to voters

74
Q

Who holds national party conventions?

A

Democrats, republicans as well as some third parties

75
Q

When are national party conventions held?

A

July or august

76
Q

Who holds the national party convention first?

A

The challenging party

77
Q

How long do national party conventions last?

A

3-4 days

78
Q

Who attends national party conventions?

A

Delegates, most of whom were chosen in the primaries and caucuses

79
Q

Conventions have what 3 formal functions?

A
  • choosing the presidential candidate (normally confirming the primaries)
  • choosing the Vice President (in effect confirming the choice announced earlier)
  • deciding the party platform ratifying the document drawn up earlier by the party’s platform committee
80
Q

What functions are more important in national party conventions?

A

Informal functions

  • promoting party unity
  • enthusing the party faithful (attendees)
  • enthusing ordinary voters (watching on tv)
81
Q

What does the candidate hope for after the national party convention?

A

The candidate hopes for a post convention ‘bounce’ in the polls
Trumps bounce in 2016 was just 1 percentage point

82
Q

What’s a national party convention?

A

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

83
Q

Are national party conventions still important? YES meet

A

The only time the national parties meet together

84
Q

Are national party conventions still important? YES Opportunity

A

Provides an opportunity to promote party unity after the primaries

85
Q

Are national party conventions still important? YES Introduce

A

Introduce the presidential candidates to the public

86
Q

Are national party conventions still important? YES Speech

A

Delivery of the acceptance speech

87
Q

Are national party conventions still important? YES Bounce

A

Can lead to a significant bounce in the polls

88
Q

Are national party conventions still important? YES Tune in

A

Most voters tune in to the campaign until the conventions start

89
Q

Are national party conventions still important? YES Number of voters

A

A significant number of voters make their decision about whom to vote for at this stage

90
Q

Are national party conventions still important? NO decisions

A

Nowadays they make few if any significant decisions: merely confirm decisions made earlier that we already know about

91
Q

Are national party conventions still important? NO Tv

A

Television coverage has been reduced

92
Q

Are national party conventions still important? NO Ordinary voters

A

Ordinary voters don’t really see them as important

93
Q

Are national party conventions still important? NO Hoopla

A

More balloons, hoopla and celebrities than serious policy debate and presentation

94
Q

When does the general election campaign begin?

A

Traditionally on labour day 01/09, though these days it begins straight after the conventions - and lasts until early November

95
Q

How long does the general election campaign last?

A

9 weeks

96
Q

What’s the October surprise?

A

In 2016 FBI director Comey reopened an investigation into Hilary Clintons use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State.

During 2020 trump had 2 problems, had covid so was out of the public eye for a while. Was investigated for only paying $750 income tax in 2016

97
Q

What are the 2 main sets of legislation for campaign finance?

A

Federal election campaign act 1974

Bipartisan campaign reform act (BICRA) 2002

98
Q

What was the federal election campaign act? (FECA)

A
  • direct result of the watergate scandal
  • limited the contributions that individuals, unions and corporations could give
  • loopholes, saw the rise of ‘soft money”
  • it was weakened by the SC decision in Buckley V Valeo
  • it provided matching funds administered by the newly created federal election commission (FEC)
  • These funds dominated presidential campaigns between 1976 and 2004
99
Q

What was the BICRA?

A

Often referred to as the McCain-Fein-Gold Act after its 2 initiators, democrat mcain and republican feingold

It led to further widespread use of political action committees (PACs)

The SC court decision in Citizens united V FEC granted corporate and labour organisations the same rights of political free speech and therefore political fundraising

Led to super PACs

100
Q

Define October surprise

A

An event occurring late in the presidential campaign to the disadvantage of one candidate, leaving them with little or no time to recover before election day

101
Q

What’s campaign finance?

A

The raising and spending of money to support a candidate or a political party in an election campaign

102
Q

Define soft money

A

Money donated to political parties instead of to candidates to avoid campaign finance limitations. Parties are allowed to spend the money on certain campaigning activities

102
Q

Define soft money

A

Money donated to political parties instead of to candidates to avoid campaign finance limitations. Parties are allowed to spend the money on certain campaigning activities

103
Q

Define political action committee’s

A

A political committee that raises limited amounts of money and spend these contributions for the express purpose of electing or defeating candidates

104
Q

Define super PAC

A

A political committee that makes independent expenditures, but does not make contributions to candidates

105
Q

What are the main provisions of BICRA?

A
  • National party commitees are banned from raising or spending ‘soft money’
  • labour unions and corporations are forbidden from directly funding issue ads
  • limits to hard money
106
Q

What’s hard money

A

Money given directly to a candidate to assist in his or her election campaign

A Level US Politics (8 decks)

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