U.S. Elections Flashcards
First true head-to-head Presidential Election in the U.S.
1796 (Adams vs Jefferson) Washington was the consensus candidate the first two elections.
Jefferson’s Political Party
Democratic-Republicans
What was considered taboo in the first few Presidential elections?
Direct campaigning and appeals for votes.
If direct campaigning was taboo, how did people run for office?
Surrogates campaigned for them.
How did campaigning evolve?
From surrogates, to front-porch campaigning (people & press went to candidate) at the beginning of the 19th Century to direct campaigning in the 20th Century.
Whistle Stop Campaign
Touring the country by train and giving speeches from the rear platform.
How did television change campaigning.
Required candidates to carefully craft public images and take advantage of media exposure.
Do televised debates tend to change opinions?
No, they tend to reinforce existing ones.
Electorate
Citizens eligible to vote.
Mandate
A command, indicated by the popular vote, for an elected official to carry out a particular policy or platform.
Primary Election
Election in which voters decide which candidates in a party will represent the party in the general election.
Open Primary
Primary election in which anyone can vote.
Closed Primary
Primary election in which only registered party members can vote.
When are Presidential elections?
Every 4 years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
How often are elections held, generally, around the country?
Every year for a variety of elected positions.
Benefits of elections
enables citizens to influence their government, confers legitimacy on the government, provides a peaceful means for removing government officials, provides a choice of direction on issues.
Does the Constitution give most administrative power over elections to the States or the Federal Government.
States
Aside from electing people, what can states do with elections?
Make policty, remove office holders before the next election,
Crossover Voting
Participation in an opposing party’s primary.
Runoff primary
A second primary required in some states if no one receives 50% of the vote in the first primary.
General Election
election in which all voters decide who will represent them.
Initiative
An election that allows citizens to propose legislation or state constitutional amendments by submitting them for popular vote.
Referendum
An election in which a state legislature submits proposed legislation or state constitutional amendments to the voters for approval.
Ballot Measures
Process in which voters enact public policy (initiative and referendum)
Does the federal government use ballot measures?
No
Downside of referendums
Dominated by law firms who draft it, management firms to guarantee ballot access, influence of wording (yes or no can bring about a policy change), and complexity of an issue.
Advantages of referendums
champion issues resisted by state legislatures and heightens public interest in elections.
Recall
an election that can remove an elected official prior to the next scheduled election.
Different state methods for choosing electors to each party’s national convention for Presidential Elections
1) winner take all primary (candidate who wins most votes in the state primary wins all of its delegates - Democrats don’t use it, Republicans do)
2) Proportional primary (candidate who gets a minimum threshold also receives delegates in proportion to their vote tally)
3) Caucus (oldest, party-oriented method – multi-hour meeting of party members)
Trend in nominating methods
In 1968 only 17 states held primaries. In 2016, 38 states held primaries.
Objective of Presidential Campaign
Win the majority of the Electoral College
Elector
Member of the Electoral College
Number of electors in Electoral College
538 (535 members of Congress plus 3 for the District of Columbia)
Number needed for majority in Electoral College
270
How does reapportionment affect the Electoral College
Each state gets a number of electors equal to its representatives and senators. But the census every ten years reassigns the number of representatives based on population changes.
Origin of Electoral College
Compromise by the founding fathers between those who wanted to choose a President by Congress and those who wanted to choose by popular vote.
Intent of Electoral College
1) work without political parties, 2) cover both nominating and electing phases of an election, and 3) produce a nonpartisan president.
Initial Problem with Electoral college
No way to distinguish between votes for Vice President and President. Election of 1800 ended in a tie between Jefferson and his vice presidential nominee Burr. Constitution says Congress then decides. But Federalists controlled the House.
How did Election of 1800 impact Presidential Elections
12th Amendment (separate votes for President and Vice President)
Process if no one gets a majority in Electoral College
House votes for President by state delegation. Senate votes for vice president by individual vote.
How many times has the winner of electoral college received fewer votes than their opponent?
Five
Incumbancy
Already holding office.
Percent of incumbents who win re-election
85% and above
Congress has historically been very unpopular, so why do incumbents get re-elected so easily?
staff support, visibility, scare-off effect.
Staff support
Each representative is allowed to hire 18 permanent staff and 4 nonpermanent staff for Washington and district offices.
Typical reasons incumbents lose
Redistricting, scandal, Presidential coat-tails, and mid-term elections.
Presidential Coattails
When a successful Presidential candidate carries into office congressional candidates of the same party in the year of their election.
Mid-term election
Election that takes place in the middle of a Presidential term.
How often are Representatives elected.
Every 2 years.
How often are senators elected.
Every 6 years (1/3 at a time)
Campaign Manager
Individual who travels with the candidate and coordinates the campaign.
Finance Chair
The individual who coordinates the financial business of the campaign.
Communications Director
Person who develops the overall media strategy.
Press Secretary
Person charged with communicating with journalists on a daily basis.
Campaign Consultant
private-sector professional who sells services and technology to a candidate.
Pollster
Someone who conducts polls on behalf of a candidate.
Voter canvass
Process by which campaigns reach individual voters, usually by going door-to-door or by telephone.
GOTV
Get Out the Vote (push to get voters to go to the polls)
