Unit 3C Voting and Elections in the USA

8/10/2019 Unit 3C Voting and Elections in the USA

1/23

Sam W Shenton

Study Guide for Voting and

Elections topic, featuring notes

for all sub- topics, practice

exam questions and key dates

for exams.

Voting and

Elections

Study

Guide6GP03C A2 Govt. and

Politics


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P*ima*iesWhat a*e P*ima*ies+

P*ima*ies, in all sha-es and o*ms, choose the ne/t -*esidential candidate

o* the -a*ticula* -a*ty. "he*e a*e many die*ent ty-es o -*ima*y1

o Closed P*ima*ies in this type of primary, only members of the particular

party in question may vote, i.e. epublican members vote in epublican

primaries, !emocrat members vote in !emocrat primaries. "on- a#liated

people may vote in either of the primaries of their choosingo !-en P*ima*ies in this type of primary, all registered voters are allo$ed to

take part, regardless of their political a#liation. %eople may still vote in either

party&s primary, but not the other.o Caucuses a simple meeting, open to all registered voters' members of the

party, at $hich delegates to the party&s national conventions are selected.o #nvisile P*ima*ies candidates simply campaign for the money that is

available to them. "o delegates are selected or voted on.o lan4et P*ima*ies everyone can vote in both primaries to choose a

presidential candidate. (his type or primary is no longer used after it $as ruled

unla$ful by the Supreme )ourt in *+++.

A*e P*ima*ies good o* ad+

%ositives of primaries

o (hey are more democratic than party leaders and the national committee

deciding the candidates that the voters may choose at an election- $hat

happens if the voters like neither re leaders more conservatively inclinedo /n0uence of party leaders may be diluted, and thus, 1out there2 candidates $ith

no connection to the leaders and national committees could stand and possibly

become the candidates for the party.o (he competing candidates usually o3er a range of policy and strategy4 primaries

$ill therefore provide a good debate for this and able to decide $hich candidate

is most e3ective or able to me elected.o /n open primaries 5see previous page6, all voters have the opportunity to

participate at the very beginning of the electoral process, $hich can and does

increase political participation.

"egatives of %rimaries

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o Experienced party leaders may make more informed decisions for their o$n

party than the $ider electorate.o Some candidates may campaign on their personal qualities rather than their

policies, meaning that the policy may be obscured through the primary process

and create more of a 1shop $indo$2 politics.o )ompetition can create the sense of disunity $ith public opinion, as the debate

becomes very heated. *++: )linton vs. ;bama, for example, $as a very heated

battle.o /n open primaries 5see previous page6, supporters of the opposing party may

vote for a $eaker candidate in order to ske$ the party&s chances at the ballot

box.o /f an early victor emerges, like in the epublican race of *++:, some states lack

a voice as they have not had their voices heard yet.

"he 5#nvisile P*ima*y

(his begins after a candidate declares their intention to stand for o#ce. (he candidate

must


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7hat is Super (uesday

State primary elections are spread out throughout the @arch Ath*+9*? is $hen the most primary elections are held on a single day.

"aturally, it&s also $hen the most delegates >those responsible for o#cially

nominating a candidate at the parties& national conventions? are at stake.

7hy is it so Super

7ith so many votes'delegates at stake, Super (uesday is seen by many as a sign of

things to come for the candidates B in the primary election and even in the general

election. Cut as $e&ll discuss later, not all Super (uesdays are created equal4 =or

example, there are half as many states participating in the *+9* Super (uesday asthere $ere in *++:, although this is expected as only one party is running primaries,

$ith !emocratic nominee being the incumbent %resident, Carack ;bama.

Do$ long has Super (uesday been around

Super (uesday is a relatively recent concoction. /t certainly $asn&t enshrined in the

)onstitution, $hich doesn&t even mention political parties.

/t all began in 9::, $hen Southern !emocrats sought to boost the in0uence of their

region by scheduling nine southern state primaries on the same day. ;ne (ennessee

!emocrat described it vividly 17hen your dog bites you four or


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7hich states are voting on Super (uesday *+9* 7hat are the stakes

=or the !emocratic %arty, there $ere no primary elections. =or the epublican %arty

primaries, 9+ states voted on Super (uesday laska, Georgia, /daho, @assachusetts,

"orth !akota, ;hio, ;klahoma, (ennessee, Vermont, and Virginia. Dere are the

numbers at a glance

o 373 total delegates $on in primaries held prior to Super (uesdayo 89: total delegates up for grabs on Super (uesday primarieso 203 delegates $on by @itt omney4 :2 delegates $on by ick Santorum4 33

delegates $on by "e$t Gingrich4 27 delegates $on by on %aulo 9,988 delegates needed for a candidate to $in the G;% nomination

Do$ *+9* does compare to previous elections

(his year&s numbers are in sharp contrast to Super (uesday *++:, $hich $as, $ell, a

lot more super. 7ith *H states voting, it $as more than double this year&s number.

(he reality is that Super (uesday&s 1super-ness2 varies drastically from election to

election. Cecause Super (uesday and the $hole primary election system are not in the

)onstitution, the details are left to the la$s of each state and the byla$s of each party

B so they change along $ith the $hims of party leaders and other in0uencing forces.

States are constantly Iockeying for $hatever position they think $ill strengthen their

in0uence, and political parties try to manage the states& attempts as best they can to

maintain the interests of the party. Sometimes, these competing interests con0ict. /n

*++:, for example, =lorida and @ichigan tried to move up their primary dates, and the

!emocratic %arty penaliJed the states by granting them only half-votes at the

convention.

(he presidential campaign is often compared to a horse race. )onsidering the free-for-

all aspect of Super (uesday and the ups and do$ns of primary scheduling, it&s an apt

analogy.

Case Study The New Hampshire Primary

What is it?

The New Hampshire primary is one of the most important primaries on the whole campaign

calendar as it gives both the parties and the candidates a good idea of the success of

a candidate and if they didnt perform so well then that would mean that theyd drop

Sam 7 Shenton 8 odillian cademy 8 Voting and Elections H


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out whereas the stronger candidates would have the confidence to carry onto the next

stage of primaries. It is based in New Hampshire so it means that it gives an idea also

about how the candidates are seen in the mideast of !merica in the same way that the

Iowa "aucus# which garners $ust as much attention as the New Hampshire does# predicts

the general feeling for a candidate in the midwest.The History of the New Hampshire %rimary

&ince '(') the New Hampshire primary has been very important when deciding a

presidential candidate but instead of voting directly for the candidates the people

would vote for delegates whod represent their votes at the National "onvention. It

wasnt until '(*( that legislation was introduced which meant that people would vote

directly for the candidates instead of delegates. In '(+, *- of voters turned out to

vote for the candidates and in '(// a law was passed which confirmed that New Hampshire

would be the first primary in the country# this shows the way in which this primary is

more democratic than the "aucuses as this sort means that the people in mass have a

direct voice in the future of the presidential race.

Is New Hampshire a good representation?

The New Hampshire %rimary is widely considered to be a good representation of the

general feeling of the nation though this could be argued as the population of New

Hampshire in () white which means that only * of the population comes from an ethnic

minority which can be compared with a state such as "alifornia which has a wide range

of ethnicities for example /* of the "alifornian population is white which means that

the other ,) comes from different ethnicities. This means that with the New Hampshire

primary the minorities in !merica dont necessarily get the best representation.

To conclude

0verall the New Hampshire %rimary gives all candidates an opportunity to gain both

money and status within the presidential race and so it means that a relatively

candidate can come from being un1nown before the primary to being one of the most

popular candidates after though due to the lac1 of diversity in New Hampshire it means

that perhaps candidates from minorities dont have as fair a chance as others though a

contradiction to this is 2arac1 0bama.

$ational ConventionsCoth of the maIor parties hold a national convention. (hey are

o Ksually held in the summer of a presidential election year >ug' Sep?o Deld in a large city. =or example, in *+9*, the epublicans held theirs in (ampa

>=lorida?, and the !emocrats in )harlotte >"orth )arolina?.o Deld at a venue decided by the party&s national executive committee

o ttended be delegates >chosen in the primaries? and by the media so that they

may be televised.

Sam 7 Shenton 8 odillian cademy 8 Voting and Elections L


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What a*e the ;unctions o $ational Conventions+

=ormal =unctions

o )hoose the party&s %residential candidateo )hoose the party&s Vice %residential candidateo !ecide the party platform >similar to a manifesto4 their policies?

D;7EVEM

o )hoosing %residential candidates has been lost to the primary season4 the

national convention no$ merely 1con


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o "')s are the only time that the entire national party meet together.

7ounds from the primary season can be healed and support can be given

to the $inning candidate, for example $ith Dillary )linton and Carack

;bama after the bitter primary season of *++:.o (he media $ill al$ays pounce on a disunited party.

o Enthuse the party faithfulo "eeded to canvass and campaign, and to communicate enthusiasm to

other people. (hey need to believe they can $in on their platform and

their 1ticket2.

o Enthuse the ordinary voterso ;rdinary voters are not present though the situation is televised.o (his is the


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CK(M Some argueR (heories of party decline are an exaggeration, because

o %arties have regained some control over presidential selection.o Coth parties have moderniJed their national structures.o (he gro$th of soft money in the :+&s and +&s.o O"ationaliJing& of campaigns.o /ncreased partisanship in )ongress

Electo*al College

C =o*4+

(he Electoral )ollege is outlined in the KS constitution. Each state is assigned a

number of electo*s$hich is equivalent to the number of cong*essmen $hich that

state is entitled to. Every state has at least one member of the Douse of

epresentatives, $hile no state has more or less than t$o Senators. (his means that

every state must have at least three electors in the Electoral )ollege. /f you&re still

struggling, the state of )alifornia has t$o Senators, and L? Douse of

epresentative members, meaning it has


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Strengths of the E')4

o %reserves the voice of small population stateso %romotes a t$o- horse race so the $inner is going to receive over L+ of the

vote, and thus maIority. (his gives a mandate to govern.

7eakness of the E')

o Small population states are over- represented

o 7inner takes all system distorts the results. /n *++:, ;bama $on L* of the

popular vote, but A: of the Electoral )ollege vote.

o %ossible for candidate to $in popular vote but lose electoral college, e.g. l Gore

in *+++.

o Knfair to smaller' third parties. %;( gained 9 of the popular vote in 9*,

but no Electoral )ollege votes.

o (he rogue or faithless electors vote for those that are not them that $on the

vote in their state.

o System used in the case of an electoral mishap may cause the Do choosing a

%resident from one party, and the Senate choosing a V.% from another.

C e *eo*med+

(here are three possible reforms

o bandon the T$inner takes allT system P =ollo$ @aine and "ebraskaUs model

$hich is more proportional to the vote in each state.

o /f in *+++ this $as used then it $ould have eased the problem of Cush vs.

Gore, $hile in *+9*, omney $ould have become president if this $as

used.o %ass state la$s that prohibit UrogueU Electors from casting such UrogueU voteso bolish the Electoral )ollege altogether and decide the election on total popular

vote.

Sam 7 Shenton 8 odillian cademy 8 Voting and Elections


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o (his encourages multi- party elections $here the $inner could be chosen

$ith as little as L of the vote, and maybe even lessM 7hat happens if

you end up $ith a , H, L party system 7ould there need to be a run o3

like =rance

Cong*essional Elections)ongressional elections include elections to both the Senate and Douse of

epresentatives. (he number of Senators is =%(%? system, similar to

local and general elections in the K. (his means that the $inner is simply the

person $ith the most votes in the district' state.o (hey take place on a strictly set date- the


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o ;riginally, the senators $ere chosen by the state legislators they $ere to

represent, as outlined in the constitution. Do$ever, this $as changed to include

a direct election the higher chamber.o Senators serve six years in o#ce. (his is three times as long as those in the

Douse of epresentatives. Each state also gets a


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0n selected occasions# the opposite 9of the above: happens# with the %residents party

ma1ing gains in the mid terms. This happened after the &eptember '' thattac1s# with the

,55, mid terms. With 8eorge W. 2ush on a national wave of popularity# the 4epublicans

made gains in both legislative chambers. This shows that it can ma1e a %residents

life; $ob easier.

The 1ey mid term election battles may set the tone of the subse


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area of policy >economy, foreign policy, social policy, ect.?. (here is also one debate

bet$een the Vice %residential candidates. (he debates are conducted by the

)ommission on %residential !ebates, set up in 9:N. /nterestingly, it allo$s for a third

party to take place if said party achieves 9L in an opinion poll.

/n these debates, the candidates need to

o !emonstrate they have strong and e3ective grasp of policy issues. n example

of negative performance of this is in 9*, $hen the third party Vice %residential

candidate seemed massively out of his depth.o Sho$ that their policies are better and more benethe


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o (here $ere reforms in 9N+ that left maIor loopholes, and led to problems $ith

campaign =E)? to enforce the existing rules and

essentially allo$ corporate bribery.

Soft @oney and Dard @oney

/n 9N, restrictions $ere lifted by the =E) $hich meant that soft money could be

used to raise a$areness of elections, the issues being debated, and the procedures

$hich $ould allo$ people to vote.


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and too1 pride in his small donors. !lthough he lost to 8eorge W. 2ush# his stance gave

momentum to the issue.

Senators Wohn @c)ain and ussell =eingold passed reforms in *++*. (hese $ere

o "ational party committees $ere banned from spending soft money.o Knions and corporate groups $ere banned from funding advertisements.o @oney from unions and big corporations $as prohibited to be used on

advertisements that mention a speciA+? days of a

"ational election and $ithin thirty >+? days of a state primary. =or example, you

could not run an advertisement 1buy a car here, ;bama did2, $ithin the time

limits above.o "o fundraising allo$ed on =ederal- o$ned land.o Fimits on contributions raised to X*,++ per person, $hich increased by in0ation

every odd numbered year >*++, *+9, ect.?.o Canning of contributions by foreign nationals.o ll campaign advertisements must be approved $ith the $ords 1@y name is Ox&

and / approve this message2.

s a result of the Supreme )ourt *+9+ ruling of )itiJens Knited v =E), Super %)s

appeared. (hese had a signihence the nameOL*Ns&?. (hey spent about XH++,+++,+++ on this one purpose, $ith X9HA,+++,+++

coming from Iust *L people. Do$ever, this may not have been that in0uential as they

$ere not allo$ed to a#liate $ith the political parties. (his meant that they may Iust

have duplicated the $ork of the political parties, instead of complement it. (hese

OL*Ns& $ere far less visible in the *++A mid- term elections and the *++: %residential

Elections.

!undraising in the 2" #$ama campaign:

Sam 7 Shenton 8 odillian cademy 8 Voting and Elections 9L


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The fundraising campaign of 2arac1 0bama seemed to stri1e the perfect balance that

regulators had been wanting for over three decadesD a mass movement contributing to the

campaign that ma1e him a formidable competitor without it being a small bunch of

wealthy bac1ers. He refused to ta1e money from %!"s or lobbyists in order to claim

independence. Half of the money came from people giving less than E'#555# and half ofthat came from donations of less than E,55F Core than ,#555#555 people became involved

in this campaign in many ways. It is now a plausible suggestion that future candidates

who fail to enact similar broad support will not be credible.

However# by refusing public funds he may have effectively destroyed public funding for

candidates that would struggle still get the money they need to be able to contribute

to public life. No candidate has ta1en public funds since the '((5s# meaning that this

is now seen as a wea1ness. This may be seen to strengthen the position of those that

are wealthy as they will have to contribute more money# while it will ma1e people who

cannot supply the board support 0bama did seem not credible# especially if they lac1

the charisma of 2ara1 0bama.

Supreme )ourt ction P )itiJens Knited v =E) >*+9+?

;n Wanuary *9st *+9+, the Supreme )ourt struck do$n several campaign


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o /n the case of congressman, incumbents have access to numerous resources

that allo$ them to communicate directly $ith voters. (hese includeo =ranking privilegeso 7ebsiteso Farge numbers of sta3

Cecause of the advantages 5see above points6, and the idea that the incumbent $ill

$in the election, people, as $ell as interest groups hoping to in0uence policy, are

more likely to back an incumbent.

Do$ can these concerns be alleviated

Some argue that there are many $ays to alleviate these issues, including limiting thenumber of congressional terms, like the presidency is limited to t$o terms. (his $as

the

1)ontract $ith merica2? proposed a constitutional amendment, limiting all

congressmen to 9* years a piece- t$o Senate terms, and A terms in the Douse of

epresentatives. (his failed to pass )ongress, though many epublican enacted it

upon them, and thus, left their chamber by *++A.

edistricting

n additional concern to incumbency advantage is that political parties re-dra$

districts in order to protect their incumbency. (his occurs, as, after each census, the

congressional districts in the Douse of epresentatives are re-dra$n to match

population shifts. (his is redistricting, but if it is done in such a $ay that that it is to

bene/o$a leaving redistricting in the hands of neutral civil servants, and L other

states using bipartisan committees?, this is a real concern, as it is the state

legislatures, and thus politicians, that dra$ these congressional districts, and thus,

could be liable to gerrymandering. @any say that gerrymandering is on the rise. =or

example, after the *+++ census, the G;% in (exas re-dre$ congressional districts

$hich gave them an additional


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Vote* Pa*tici-ation

Knlike other countries $here the governing agencies seek out unregistered voters,

there is no presumption that everyone should have to vote and


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needs of particular people. (his is best achieved, they say, by limiting the terms of

congressmen through a constitutional amendment. (hey $ould also like to see the

system of recall elections applied to )ongress. ;pponents argue that these reforms

$ould be negative steps, because

o (hey lead to incumbents $ho are doing $ell being removed from o#ce, even if

they have more to give to their communities.o (hey lead to youthful legislatures $ith a lack of expertise, meaning that

congress may become more ideological and not based on $hat $orks.o @any ex- politicians already go into the lobbying industry. (erm limits $ould

mean this 1revolving door2 $ould increase4 meaning ex- politicians $ould seek

to in0uence current policies. (his $ould be greater achieved as the lobbyists

$ould be the ones $ith the higher expertise and experience than the youthful

legislature >see above?.o Elections serve as term limits on badly performing politicians any$ay, so there

is no need for forced term limits.

(he opponents of the ight tend to argue that the outcomes they support $ould result

in $ealthy interests being more prominent, and 1citiJen&s legislatures2 being funded

by $ealthy individuals $ho seek to in0uence.

Vie=s *om the &et P*og*essivesD

%rogressives Iudge the electoral systems to the extent that it includes and represents

all sections of society, including those that are marginalised, and by the extent it

allo$s anybody $ho has a contribution to make to run for o#ce. (herefore, the

extension of the franchise to black people, $omen, and 9: P *9 year olds has been

seen as positive progress, but they also see them as insecure gains.

(his leads into the Feft&s greatest concern- that the electoral system fails to ensure a

level playing


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nalyse the signi9L?

(o $hat extent did the *++: presidential election prove that campaign HL?

Fanua*y 20991

Explain the factors that limit the electoral impact of smaller parties. >9L?

(o $hat extent are mid-term elections merely a referendum on the performance of a

president >HL?

Fune 20991

ssess the extent to $hich incumbents have an advantage over the challengers in

)ongressional elections. >9L?

!oes public participation in the presidential nomination process advance or hinder

democracy >HL?

Fanua*y 20921

7hat is the invisible primary, and ho$ important is it >9L?

(o $hat extent are caucuses an appropriate means of selecting candidates >9L?

Fune 20921

7hy has campaign 9L?

1(he Electoral )ollege should be replaced by a national popular vote.2 !iscuss. >HL?

Fanua*y 20931

(o $hat extent do the maIor party conventions >"ational )onventions? continue to

have a meaningful role >9L?

1(he record of the incumbent is decisive in deciding the outcome of a %residential

election2. !iscuss. >HL?

Fune 20931

Do$ signi9L?

Sam 7 Shenton 8 odillian cademy 8 Voting and Elections *9


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1(he system of nominating presidential candidates is in need of reform.2 !iscuss. >HL?

E/am %ates

Psychology1%SY9 Exam P @onday 99th@ay *+9L Z 9.++%SY* Exam P @onday 9:th@ay *+9L Z 9.++%SY Exam P (uesday thWune *+9L Z 9.++%SYH Exam P (uesday 9AthWune *+9L Z +.+

Gove*nment and Politics16GP03C E/am Bonday ?thFune 2097 0:.30 V!"#$G A$% E&EC"#!$SD

AG%+H) Exam P 7ednesday 9NthWune *+9L Z +.+

Documents

Unit 3C Voting and Elections in the USA