USA - participation & democracy

Question 1

voting
PEE

Answer 1

• presidential elections happen every 4 years
• 18 + can vote local,state & federal level
• people convicted of crime can’t vote
• presidential candidates spend alot of money to encourage votes
• trump v biden 2020 most expensive costing over $14billion
  EG - the voter turnout in the 2020 election was 67% , the highest in the 21st century

Question 2

voting
REE

Answer 2

• some groups are less likely to use their right to vote > ethnic minority groups
• language barrier, lack of representation
• Texas law requires ID to vote, up to 1/4 of African Americans in the US are believed to lack ID.
• excluded from politics
  EG - 71% of white voters cats a vote in the 2020 presidential election compared to just 58% of non-white voters

Question 3

stand as a candidate
PEE

Answer 3

• any US is free to stand in federal elections as long as 35+
• 25+ for HoR
• 30+ for senate
• domination of two parties
  -still allows for independant
• currently 3 senators who do not belong to one of the main political parties
  EG - Jo Jorgensen of the libertarian won 1.2% of the vote in the 2020 US election > equating close to 1.9million votes.

Question 4

stand as a candidate
REE

Answer 4

• significant barriers to standing as a candidate
• lack of representation can deteter people
• executive branch describes as pale,stale & male
• only ever been 1 president that is not a white male
• cost of standing as a candidate
• excessive funding required
  EG - economic exclusion seen through half those elected to the senate in 2018 were millionaires

Question 5

join a political party
PEE

Answer 5

• republicans & democrats
• there are multiple other parties citizens can join > librarian party > 610,000 members
• members of a political party can participate in electoral campaigns, attend rallies & vote in primaries or caucus > process where party members vote for how they want to be their candidate for an upcoming election
  EG - Joe biden received 2727 pledges from delegates in the democrats primary caucus meaning he beat Bernie Sanders to become the presenting candidate for the democrats in 2020

Question 6

join a political party
REE

Answer 6

• although joining a party can give an individual a platform to voice their political views people may not join becaseu their views are not Jared directly with the party views
• views can become polarised > people feel the need to take a side
• independent candidates EEE more success at local and state level , limited success at the federal level
• deters people from joining as unlikely to see any positive changes
  EG - there are no independent representatives and only 3 that are currently in the senate

Question 7

protests
PEE

Answer 7

• freedom of speech & the right to protest are enshrined in the constitution
• American citizens have the right to vote and can happen in any public space > organised by interest groups
• larger protests are often planned to take place in prominent places such as Washington d.c and near the white house
• major protests seen after the George Floyd murder for BLM
  EG - the protest led to States such as Cali and Texas banning the use of choke holds used by the police and reviewing state police reforms and this was supported by democratic senators who tried to introduce this into federal law

Question 8

protests
REE

Answer 8

• not all protest result in positive changes
• may not result in law changes
• checks and balamce system in the federal branch of US politics both the legislative and judicial branch can stop the president making changes based on current political or social opinion
• hot topics > abortion , gun control have seen alot of protests but resulted in little social change
  EG - after roe Vs Wade was overturned by the supreme court in 2022 there were over 200 protests in 46 stars but this did not lead to any change in law