poli sci 2051 ch 10 – Flashcards
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constitutional requirements for elections
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-only the House was directly elected by the people -senators were elected by state legislatures -the president was selected by the electoral college -members of the judiciary were nominated by the president and confirmed by the state
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Presidential Elections (rules reflect what three fundamental themes?)
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1) The states were given a broad discretion on key matters regarding presidential elections 2) the framers designed presidency with G. Washington in mind; didnt elaborate aspects of presidency 3) presidency was envisioned as an office above party politics
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Electoral College
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compromise between interests of states and interests of the people on how the president is elected
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Electoral College is composed of _______
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Electors
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Electors
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individuals who actually serve in the electoral college casting votes for president
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Electoral college is composed of ____ presidential electors
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538
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Electoral college meets every __ years to cast electoral votes for president and vice president
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4 (duh.)
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Who choses the electors?
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the people of each state
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how electors are selected
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-each party lines up electors for its candidates prior to the election -each state receives a number of electoral votes equal to the number of senators and House representatives (minimum # is 3)
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electoral votes are allocated ___________
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to the candidate who finishes first in the voting
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winer-take-all system
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where whoever wins the most votes in an election wins the election
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Nebraska and Maine allocate votes by ____________
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congressional district so they can split their votes
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To win the presidency, a candidate needs a
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a majority (270) of 538 electoral votes
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if no candidate wins majority...
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the decision for president is made in the House. the decision for vice president is made in the senate
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electoral college never worked as framers wanted
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-12th amendement -states were free to set their own rules for selecting electors -today, states hold elections all on same day (first tuesday after the first monday in november) unlike in early 19th century -electors then meet in december to choose next president
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biggest problem with electoral college
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nations popular vote doesnt automatically translate into a win in the electoral college
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Why keep electoral college
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-encourages candidates to secure support in all corners of the country -eliminating it would decrease role of states -eliminating it would also require constitutional amendment
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the 2000 election
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-Gore received ~600,000 more votes than Bush, just a .5% difference (48.4 to 47.9) -the state of florida was too close to call; a .0001% difference
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congressional elections
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-each state has 2 senators -house members are allotted based on proportional representation
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senate elections
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-constitution originally gave the choice of senators to state legislatures -17th amendment -senate elections are staggered ensuring the senate is insulated from large shifts in public sentiment
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House elections
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-the entire house of reps. is up for election every two years -house members always been elected directly by the people
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apportionment
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the constitution requires representatives be apportioned, within each state, according to population, which is counted every 10 years in a census -originally each member was to represent no more than 30,000 people -size of house capped at 435 representatives in 1929
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redistricting
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state legislatures are responsible for drawing district lines
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gerrymandering
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politicization of drawing districts (term comes from the salamander shaped district in Massachusetts)
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Initiative
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process by which citizens place proposed laws on the ballot for public approval
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referenda
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processes by which public approval is required before states can pass law
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front porch campaign strategy
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19th century campaign style, in which candidate stays home and does not actively campaign
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jockeying for position
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opening stages of the presidential campaign when candidates compete for financial support and credibility as a viable candidate for the party's nomination
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Permanent Campaign
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charge that presidents and members of congress focus more on winning the next election than on governing
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invisible primary
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once a candidate decides to run; -period just before the primaries begin during which candidates attempt to capture party support and media coverage
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open seat elections
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in contests in which there was no incumbent, the party insider won all but one time; candidates with deep ties to party leaders
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winning party nomination
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candidates must secure a majority of delegates to the national party conventions
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primary election
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~70% of the states use this. an election where citizens go to the polling booths and vote
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caucuses
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~30% of states use this; something like a town meeting
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The National Convention
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-follows the primary season -acceptance speech where candidate speaks to the nation -party platform is formally adopted in front of cameras
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Presidential Debates
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official debates between nominees; televised and highly important to campaign
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Matching Funds
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(public financing) rules to ensure candidates are serious contenders before giving funds: -must raise at least $5,000 in 20 states, comprised of donations that are less than $500 each -a candidate who does not get at least 10% of the vote in 2 consecutive primaries loses eligibility
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Swing States
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those that might vote republican or democrat in a particular election -in 2008, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, and Virginia were swing states
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Micro-targeting
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gathering detailed information on cross-sections of the electorate to track potential supporters and tailor political messages for them -also called narrowcasting
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valence issues
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noncontroversial or widely supported campaign issues that are unlikely to differentiate among candidates ~3/4 of their TV ads highlight these
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position issues
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political issues that offer specific choices in policy and often differentiate candidates' views and plans of action
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wedge issues
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has potential to break up the opposition's coalition. usually involve controversial policy concerns, such as abortion or gay marriage, which divide people rather than build consensus
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Negativity
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why not to vote for opponent; "Daisy spot" is most famous negative ad in American history
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Prediction Models
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yield specific estimates of the vote share in presidential elections; combine following factors: -economy, presidential popularity, and incumbent party's time in office
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congressional campaigns
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start with primary election. general election then follows. occur every 2 years in the senate, 1/3 of all seats are contested every 2 years in the house, every member faces reelection every 2 years
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Primaries
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nearly always determine which candidate will gain party endorsement for a house or senate seat
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incumbency disadvantage
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if ones party has fallen out of favor with voters
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congressional elections lack of interest
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people tend to vote based on partisanship or incumbency
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FECA
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Federal Election Campaign Act requires candidates, political parties, and political action committees to disclose campaign financial records
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Buckley v. Valeo
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congress amended the law to set limits on how much money could be contributed by individuals, parties and Political action committees; created Federal Election Commission to closely monitor campaign finance
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Electoral Mandates
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a clear signal from the public about the policies government should pursue
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campaign promises
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~66% have been enacted ~10% were ignored ~20% were blocked in congress
