Voting, Campaigns and Elections Flashcards
(9 cards)
What is the difference between a Presidential caucus and a Presidential primary?
Caucus
Face-to-face meeting in which rank-and-file party members discuss and vote on candidates to stand for election to offices under the party label at a later general election.
Primary
A preliminary election in which voters select candidates to stand under their party label in a later and definitive general election.
How has the Presidential nomination process evolved over time?
Direct primaries originate in America
Prior to direct primaries, the party leaders controlled process for selecting delegates to nominating conventions.
1968 Election instigates reforms to the system of selecting nominees
McGovern-Fraser commission aims to ensure that delegate selection is a fair reflection of the sentiment of state Democrats
Who are superdelegates, and when do they vote?
About 15% of the total delegates
Members of Congress, Governors, Party Commission Members
New reforms mean that they do not vote on the first ballot
What are some procedural concerns with the nomination process?
Campaign is too long and starts too early
Primaries are front-loaded
- Many states have moved up their primaries to earlier dates to be a part of the “action.”
- Party leaders like to resolve the nomination early and move on to preparing for the general election.
- But critics charge that front-loading gives the advantage to well-known, established candidates who can raise large sums of money.
What are some political concerns with the nomination process?
Political activists have gained much influence under the new process.
- Participation is low, so small groups of activists can exert more influence.
Media has gained more influence
- Interpret the results and frame the campaign as a horserace/game orientation rather than a policy
orientation
- Focus on scandals, gaffes or feuds
- Exaggerate the importance of many campaign events and developments
How does the electoral college work?
Each state chooses same number of electors as it has House and Senate members in Congress.
Winner take all voting system
- Under state laws, the candidate who wins the state receives all the state’s electoral votes (except in Maine and Nebraska).
If a candidate receives a majority of the electoral votes, the person becomes president.
If no majority, the vote goes to the House of Representatives (top three)
- Vote by states
Why did the Founders institute the electoral college?
The Founders were concerned that voters would not have enough information or judgment to select the nation’s chief executive.
They sought to leaven the voters’ judgments with those of the political elite—the electors—in each state.
Each state was assigned the number of electors equal to the number of seats in their congressional delegation. Since each state has two senators, no matter their population, this served to increase the influence of the smaller, less populous, states.
What are three proposed electoral college reforms?
Direct Election - Plurality Election (largest proportion of popular vote);
- sometimes with top two runoff (40% or 50%)
- National Popular Vote Compact tries to approximate without Constitutional amendment
District Plan - Allocate by Congressional District
- Maine and Nebraska choose this method: winner in each House district, 2 allocated statewide (Senate seats)
Proportional Plan - State electoral votes allocated proportionally
- Fractional or Rounded up?
- Senate seat winner take all bonus?
- Method of PR used in calculations?
Explain David Mayhew’s theory of Congresspeople and the electoral connection
The Electoral Connection = members of Congress are primarily focused on re-election, not policy
(Cannot pass policy if not elected)
“The electoral goal has to be the proximate goal of everyone, the goal that must be achieved over and over if other ends are to be entertained”
