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A Level US Politics > US Elections > Flashcards

US Elections Flashcards

(107 cards)

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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
Define caucuses
A state based series of meetings to choose a party’s candidate for the presidency. They usually attract unrepresentative and low turnouts
26
What’s Super Tuesday?
A Tuesday in February or early march when a number of states coincide their presidential primaries and caucuses to try to gain influence
27
What’s front loading?
The phenomenon by which states schedule their primaries or caucuses earlier in the nomination cycles in an attempt to increase their importance
28
How many can we classify primaries?
2 Who is allowed to vote in them How delegates are awarded in them
29
Classify primaries by who can vote, how many types?
3 Open primaries Closed primaries Modified primaries
30
What’s an open primary?
In which any registered voter can vote in either party’s primary
31
What’s a closed primary?
In which only registered democrats can vote in the democratic primary, and the same with republicans
32
What’s a modified primary?
Like closed primaries, but also allow registered independents to vote in either parties primary
33
Classifying primaries by how delegates are awarded, how many types?
2 Proportional primaries Winner take all primaries
34
What’s a proportional primary?
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%)
35
What’s a winner takes all primary?
In which whoever gets the most votes in the primary wins all the states delegates (allowed only in the Republican Party)
36
Who traditionally holds the first presidential caucuses?
Iowa
37
What’s the outcome of iowas caucus?
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
38
Who traditionally holds the first presidential primary?
New hampshire
39
What’s the outcome of New Hampshire primary?
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
40
Do incumbent presidents have to compete in their parties primaries?
Yes Obama in 2012 But little or no attention is given to these primaries
41
How much of the vote did Obama and trump win on incumbent primaries?
Obama 92% 2012 | trump 90% 2020
42
How does the voter turnout change if an incumbent president faces a challenge in their primary?
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
43
What’s the normal voter turnout in primaries?
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
Factors that affect turnout in primaries and caucuses?
Demography Type of primary Competitiveness Timing
45
Voter turnout - demography
Turnout is higher among more educated, higher-income and elderly voters
46
Voter turnout - type of primary
Open primaries tend to attract higher turnout as more people are eligible to vote in them
47
Voter turnout - competitiveness of the nomination race
Turnout is higher if the nomination race is competitive; lower if its a one horse race
48
Voter turnout - timing
Primaries that are held after the nomination has effectively been decided attract lower turnout than those held when the race is still open
49
Why was primary turnout boosted in 2020?
Because covid increased the use of postal balloting
50
Are primaries important - YES - presidential candidates
The presidential candidates emerge during them
51
Are primaries important - YES Candidates eliminated
A large number of candidates are eliminated by them
52
Are primaries important - YES Delegates
Delegates (who make the final decision about the candidate) are chosen by them
53
Are primaries important - YES Media
They attract a large amount of media attention
54
Are primaries important - YES Lesser known candidates
Lesser known candidates see them as a way of boosting name recognition
55
Are primaries important - YES Test skills
They test some presidential skills eg. Organisational, presentational
56
Are primaries important - YES More important
They are much more important than they used to be before the McGovern - Fraser reforms (1970s)
57
Are primaries important - NO - invisible primaries
Primaries often merely confirm decisions made during ‘invisible primary’
58
Are primaries important - NO Media
What goes on in the media (eg. Televised debates) is often more important
59
Are primaries important - NO Skills
Many presidential skills are not tested eg ability compromise, ability to work with congress
60
Are primaries important - NO - delegates
Many primaries choose so few delegates that they cannot be regarded as important
61
Advantages of primaries - participation
Increased levels of participation by voters
62
Advantages of primaries - Choice
Increased choice of candidates
63
Advantages of primaries - gruelling
A gruelling race for a gruelling job
64
Disadvantages of primaries - voter apathy
Can lead to voter apathy
65
Disadvantages of primaries - Representativeness
Voters are often unrepresentative
66
Disadvantages of primaries - Process
Process is too long, too expensive, too dominated by the media
67
Disadvantages of primaries - Bitter
Can develop into bitter, personal battles
68
Disadvantages of primaries - Peer review
Lack of peer review
69
Disadvantages of primaries - Super delegates
Role of ‘super delegates’ if the nomination is not decided on the first ballot
70
Ways to improve the nomination process:
- 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
Choosing vice presidential candidates:
- confirmed by a majority vote of delegates at the national party convention - big media event - can give president boosts in the poll
72
Different strategies for choosing their running mate
- a balanced ticket e.g. Biden - Harris - potential for government e.g. trump - pence - party unity
73
Define balanced ticket:
A pairing of presidential and vice presidential candidates Ona ticket, who attract support for different reasons, thereby making the broadest appeal to voters
74
Who holds national party conventions?
Democrats, republicans as well as some third parties
75
When are national party conventions held?
July or august
76
Who holds the national party convention first?
The challenging party
77
How long do national party conventions last?
3-4 days
78
Who attends national party conventions?
Delegates, most of whom were chosen in the primaries and caucuses
79
Conventions have what 3 formal functions?
- 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
What functions are more important in national party conventions?
Informal functions - promoting party unity - enthusing the party faithful (attendees) - enthusing ordinary voters (watching on tv)
81
What does the candidate hope for after the national party convention?
The candidate hopes for a post convention ‘bounce’ in the polls Trumps bounce in 2016 was just 1 percentage point
82
What’s a national party convention?
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
Are national party conventions still important? YES meet
The only time the national parties meet together
84
Are national party conventions still important? YES Opportunity
Provides an opportunity to promote party unity after the primaries
85
Are national party conventions still important? YES Introduce
Introduce the presidential candidates to the public
86
Are national party conventions still important? YES Speech
Delivery of the acceptance speech
87
Are national party conventions still important? YES Bounce
Can lead to a significant bounce in the polls
88
Are national party conventions still important? YES Tune in
Most voters tune in to the campaign until the conventions start
89
Are national party conventions still important? YES Number of voters
A significant number of voters make their decision about whom to vote for at this stage
90
Are national party conventions still important? NO decisions
Nowadays they make few if any significant decisions: merely confirm decisions made earlier that we already know about
91
Are national party conventions still important? NO Tv
Television coverage has been reduced
92
Are national party conventions still important? NO Ordinary voters
Ordinary voters don’t really see them as important
93
Are national party conventions still important? NO Hoopla
More balloons, hoopla and celebrities than serious policy debate and presentation
94
When does the general election campaign begin?
Traditionally on labour day 01/09, though these days it begins straight after the conventions - and lasts until early November
95
How long does the general election campaign last?
9 weeks
96
What’s the October surprise?
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
What are the 2 main sets of legislation for campaign finance?
Federal election campaign act 1974 Bipartisan campaign reform act (BICRA) 2002
98
What was the federal election campaign act? (FECA)
- 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
What was the BICRA?
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
Define October surprise
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
What’s campaign finance?
The raising and spending of money to support a candidate or a political party in an election campaign
102
Define soft money
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
Define soft money
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
Define political action committee’s
A political committee that raises limited amounts of money and spend these contributions for the express purpose of electing or defeating candidates
104
Define super PAC
A political committee that makes independent expenditures, but does not make contributions to candidates
105
What are the main provisions of BICRA?
- 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
What’s hard money
Money given directly to a candidate to assist in his or her election campaign

A Level US Politics (8 decks)

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