Elections and the electoral college
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Three problems with elections as linkage institutions
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Low participation >50%, Choices between candidates unappealing, Candidates don't take clear positions on issues
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Three critical functions of elections
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Formalize political participation, public political power, guide policy direction
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Legitimacy
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The view that an election and it's results are fair and free
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Primaries
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Parties choose nominees or candidates for office
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General election
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Voters select between nominees for candidates of the two parties
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Referendum
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Voters directly decide yes or no on policy issues. Voters make legislation
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Initiative
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Ability of the citizens to get specific policy issues onto the ballot through petitions
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Theory of rational voting behavior
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People are more likely to vote if one parties policies bring the more benefits than the other, if benefits are equal voting likelihood goes down
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1800 election
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First peaceful transfer of power from one party to another. DemRep to federalist
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1896 election
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First US election decided solely on an economic issue. Free silver
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2000 election
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disputed, It had counting ballots in Florida that did not register an actual vote- bush versus gore
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Political efficacy
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The idea that participation... Voting... Really matters
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Civic duty
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The idea that voting is one's responsibility we have this American citizens
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Voter registration
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Signing up to get your name on the official voters list... Usually required in advance (30 days) of Election Day
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Reasons to improve the voter registration
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Prevent corruption and cheating, help same-day registration, lowering voter turn out and 20th century
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Motor voter act, 1993
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Permits voter registration when renewing a drivers license
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US voter turnout reason for
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No government voter registration, too many elections, often no real choice elections not a national holiday
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Mandate theory of elections
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Perception that the winner has a clear message from the people to carry out his policies usually with a decisive victory
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Party identification
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Has declined in the recent decades due to TV and Internet, candidate centered politics
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Policy voting
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We vote for candidates based on our issue preferences, this can be single issue
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Electoral college reason
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Originally was to let educated elite choose the president, now most Americans and political science oppose it
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Two tasks accomplished by elections
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Select policymakers, shape public policy direction (based on who we elect)
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Elections effects on public policy/general guidelines
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The greater the policy difference between the candidates the more likely voters can guide public policy
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Retrospective voting
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Tendency to reword incumbents who provide positive results. Better than before
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Most important retrospective voting aspect
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Economic policy
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When is election day
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Tuesday, after first Monday in November
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What did the people really vote for an election day since they are not voting directly for president
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We select electors within each state to choose the president
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When is the president really elected
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Around the middle of December
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How many electors does each state get
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Same number as congressman
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How many electoral votes are needed to get elected
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270/538
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job of electors today
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They vote strictly by party, referred to as rubberstamps
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Job of electors then
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Vote for two people, those most qualified most votes equal president runner-up equals VP
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What's the popular vote is held, what determines how many electors each party candidate gets per state
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When are the state popular vote gets all of the states electors, second-place gets nothing
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Which states Award votes by district
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Nebraska five, Maine four
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Do voters know who they are selecting as electors
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No, we just see the candidates names, except for a few states with a few electors
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Where is it specified regarding where electors meet
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12 amendment, in respective state capitals on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December
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When/how are electoral votes counted
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And a joint session of Congress on January 6, results are certified by President of Senate, it's when election results become official
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If no candidate gets a majority of electoral votes, what happens
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House of representatives chooses the president, if no VP senate chooses
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What does the 20th amendment state regarding presidential elections
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If no president is chosen by January 20, new VP serves as acting president until one is chosen... If neither is chosen speaker of the house serves until one of them is
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How many times has Congress had to choose a president
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Two times , 1800 Jefferson, 1824 John Quincy Adams
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How many times has Congress had to choose a VP
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One time
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Three criticisms of electoral system
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National popular vote can lose electoral college vote, electors are not legally required to vote according to state popular vote, in any given election House of Representatives might end up choosing the president
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In what years did the winner of the popular vote lose you electoral college
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1824, 1876, 1888, 2000
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What are two factors that contribute to the national popular vote problem
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Distribution of electoral votes by state, winner take all rule for states can give lopsided results in close popular elections
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If you win 11 biggest states
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You get to 70 electoral votes!
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Presidential campaigns focus their efforts on
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Swing states, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan
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States the get no attention are
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Heavily read or heavily blue----Swing states are purple
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Results of 2000 presidential election
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Bush 271 lost national popular vote but won electoral college. One vote was not cast
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If Gore had won Florida in his election, 2000
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His electoral vote would have been 291
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With the uncasted vote have helped Gore in the 2000 election
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No, Bush head over 270 already
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(1) concerns with the house choosing the president
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Voting in the house is by state, not individual representation. Small states have equal weight to large states
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(2) concerns with the house choosing the president
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If states representatives cannot agree, then state does not vote... Need 26 votes out of 50 to win
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(3) concerns with the house choosing the president
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if the states do not vote widespread, perhaps a strong third-party candidate may not have a winner by January 20
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electoral fix, district plan
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Votes are awarded by district, like Maine or Nebraska, two extras go to senators, possible for second place to get some electoral votes
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Electoral fix, proportional plan
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Votes are awarded based on percentage of state popular vote possible for second place to get some electoral votes
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Problems with both district and proportional plans
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Still possible to win national popular vote and lose electoral vote
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National bonus plan
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Use the current winner take all system, but would add 102 bonus electoral votes to the national popular winner. 321/640
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Problem with the bonus plan
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Seems too convoluted, no public interest or understanding
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Direct popular election
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Winner of the national popular vote would become president. Unconstitutional also many small states like the power they get in the current system
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National popular vote interstate compact
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Various states and DC pledge to award the electoral votes to the national popular vote winner rather than the winner of the state... goes into affect 270 electoral votes approved only buy those dates will it be in effect
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As of April 2016
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10 states totaling 165 electoral votes have passed national popular vote interstate compact, another nine states with 104 electoral votes have bills pending, remaining 31 states have no action pending
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What do you supporters of the electoral system say and its defense
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Perceived problems are exaggerated, only twice had the house choose president, national popular winter has lost electric about four times only
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According to its supporters, what are the elect electoral system is two major strengths
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Unknown process, convoluted but we still know how it works and other plans might cause problems
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In almost every given election the winner is known
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Immediately within 24 hours
