The Electoral Process & Direct Democracy Flashcards
(37 cards)
1
Q
What is the Electoral College and how does it work?
A
- The Electoral College elects the US President.
- States have votes equal to their congressional delegation (Senators + House Reps)
- totalling 538 votes.
- A majority of 270 is needed.
2
Q
What are the main criticisms of the Electoral College?
A
- It can produce a winner without the popular vote (e.g. Trump 2016, Bush 2000).
- Swing states dominate campaigns (e.g. Florida, Pennsylvania).
- Overrepresents small states.
- Faithless electors can break pledges.
3
Q
What are the main strengths of the Electoral College?
A
- Preserves federalism by giving states a role.
- Delivers clear outcomes.
- Forces candidates to seek broad national appeal.
- Harder for third-party or extremist candidates to win
4
Q
What are proposals for reforming the Electoral College?
A
- National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC).
- Abolish it via constitutional amendment (unlikely).
- Make all states proportional like Maine and Nebraska.
5
Q
What are primaries
A
- state-level contests to select delegates for the national convention.
6
Q
what are the different types of primaries?
A
- Closed (e.g. NY): only party members vote.
- Open (e.g. TX): any registered voter.
- Semi-closed: independents may choose.
7
Q
What are caucuses and how do they differ from primaries?
A
- Caucuses are public meetings where voters debate and vote for candidates (e.g. Iowa).
- Lower turnout
- Criticised for inaccessibility.
8
Q
What happens at national nominating conventions?
A
- Conventions formally nominate the presidential candidate.
- Unify the party, set platform, launch general campaign.
- Still useful for media and party branding.
9
Q
How does money influence elections in the USA?
A
- Money funds adverts, staff, and outreach.
- Citizens United v FEC (2010) allowed unlimited spending by Super PACs.
- In 2020, campaign spending topped $14 billion.
10
Q
What is an example of how money can shape elections?
A
- Bloomberg 2020 spent over $1bn.
- Super PACs spend unlimited amounts post-Citizens United (2010)
- raising concerns over elite influence.
11
Q
What role does media play in US elections?
A
- Media shapes perceptions and controls narratives.
- Trump 2016 Used Twitter to bypass traditional media, earned $2 billion+ in free media coverage
- Criticised for being too poll-driven.
12
Q
Why is incumbency a major advantage in US elections?
A
- Incumbents benefit from name recognition, media access, fundraising, constituent service.
- In 2022, ~94% of House incumbents were re-elected.
13
Q
What is direct democracy and how is it used in the USA?
A
- Citizens vote directly on laws at the state level.
- Tools: initiatives, propositions, referendums, recall elections.
14
Q
What are initiatives?
A
- Initiatives: citizens propose laws via petitions.
- Can empower voters but also reflect special interests.
15
Q
What are referendums and recall elections?
A
- Referendums: voters approve or reject laws.
- Recalls: remove elected officials early (e.g. Newsom 2021 survived).
16
Q
what is an example of a US referendum
A
- Ohio 2023
- abortion referendum.
17
Q
What are criticisms of direct democracy in the US?
A
- Low turnout
- voter fatigue
- influence of money,
- oversimplification of complex issues.
- Ballot wording can mislead voters
18
Q
What factors influence voting behaviour in the US?
A
- Party ID
- candidate appeal
- issues
- demographics.
- E.g. Black voters strongly Democratic; White Evangelicals Republican.
Hispanic vote varies
19
Q
What are realigning elections?
A
- Elections that shift long-term party loyalty.
20
Q
Why does split-ticket voting occur and what is its significance?
A
- Voters choose candidates from different parties.
- Less common due to polarisation.
- Still seen in swing states.
- e.g. a person may Vote Republican for President and vote Democrat for Congress (House or Senate)
21
Q
Why is voter turnout often low in US elections?
A
- The first-past-the-post system
- The frequency of elections can lead to voter apathy
- Registration procedures are difficult
22
Q
Examples of how demographics vote in elections
A
- 2020
- Black voters: 87% voted Democrat
- White Evangelicals: ~76% voted Trump
- Latinos: 60% Biden
23
Q
How did the Electoral College result differ from the popular vote in the 2016 election?
A
- Trump won 304 Electoral College votes to Clinton’s 227, despite losing the popular vote by 2.9 million.
- Highlights how the system can produce ‘wrong winner’ outcomes.
24
Q
What are ‘faithless electors’ and how were they significant in 2016?
A
- 7 electors voted against their pledged candidate in 2016.
- Led to the Supreme Court case Chiafalo v. Washington (2020), which upheld laws punishing such electors.
25
Why are swing states so influential in US presidential elections?
- they can realistically be won by either major party
- Most states use winner-takes-all
- The national result often hinges on a few key swing states.
26
What is an example of the importance of swing states?
Two-thirds (273 of 399) of the general-election campaign events in the 2016 presidential race were in just 6 states
27
What happened during the Iowa caucuses in 2020?
- A mobile app failure delayed results, damaging trust in caucuses.
- Turnout was low and the process seen as unrepresentative due to older, whiter voters.
28
What is an example of high campaign spending influencing primaries?
- Michael Bloomberg spent over $1 billion on his 2020 campaign
- failed to win major primaries, showing money doesn’t guarantee success.
29
What is Citizens United v FEC and why is it important?
- 2010
- Supreme Court ruling allowing unlimited independent political spending by corporations and Super PACs.
- Critics say it increases elite influence over elections.
30
How did Trump use media differently in the 2016 campaign?
- Trump bypassed traditional media via Twitter
- earned over $2 billion in free media coverage, shifting campaign dynamics.
31
How did incumbents perform in the 2022 midterm elections?
- Around 94% of House incumbents were re-elected
- showing the power of name recognition, media access, and fundraising advantages.
32
What did the Ohio abortion referendum show about direct democracy and when was it?
- 2023
- Voters rejected a proposal to restrict abortion
- showing how referendums can protect rights even in conservative-leaning states.
33
What does Susan Collins' 2020 Senate win show about split-ticket voting?
- Collins (Republican-Maine) won re-election despite Biden winning Maine
- showing voters sometimes choose different parties for president and Congress.
34
What was the significance of the 1932 and 1968 realigning elections?
- 1932: FDR built a New Deal coalition.
- 1968: Nixon’s ‘Southern Strategy’ shifted white southern voters to the GOP, reshaping party coalitions.
35
How did voter turnout in 2020 compare historically?
- Turnout was 66%
- highest since 1900
- driven by COVID mail-in voting and political polarisation.
36
What was Proposition 22 and what did it demonstrate?
- California 2020
- Uber/Lyft spent over $200m to pass a law keeping gig workers as contractors.
- Shows how money influences direct democracy.
37
What is a recent example of voter suppression concerns?
- Georgia’s voting laws (e.g. voter ID, purging rolls) have raised concerns about suppressing minority turnout, especially post-2020.
