Flashcards
Elections and voting
Cards in this deck (26)
- 1How often do presidential elections occur?1. Every 4 years
2. Divisible by 4: 2004, 2008 etc.
3. On the Tuesday after the first Monday in November - 2What makes someone eligible to be president?1. Be a natural-born US citizen
2. Be at least 35 years of age
3. Have been resident in the USA for at least 14 years - 3What are the 4 stages of a presidential election?1. Primaries and caucuses
2. National Party Conventions
3. General election campaign
4. Election day and Electoral College - 4What is a presidential primary?Its an election to select a party's candidate for the presidency.
- 5What is a caucus?A caucus is a meeting to select a party's candidate for the presidency.
- 6What are the functions of a presidential primary?1. To show the popularity of presidential candidates
2. To choose delegates to go to the National Party Conventions - 7How are primaries run?Presidential primaries are run under state law not federal law.
- 8What 6 things are key when running a primary?1. Whether to hold a primary or a caucus
2. When to hold the primary
3. How to conduct the primary
4. Who can vote in the primary
5. Who can be on the ballot
6. How to allocate the delegates - 9What is front loading?States schedule their presidential primaries or caucuses earlier in the cycle in an attempt to increase their importance in the choosing of candidates.
- 10What is known as 'Super Tuesday'?A day often in early February, when a large number of states hold their primaries or caucuses.
- 11What is the invisible primary?Its the year or so before the start of the primaries when potential candidates try to gain recognition and money as well as put together the necessary organisation.
- 12What are candidate's aims?1. Try to get mentioned is serious press e.g. 'Washington post'
2. Get TV coverage, e.g. on 'The NewsHour'
3. To visit key primary and caucus states such as New Hampshire and Iowa.
4. Start fundraising
5. Get a campaign staff
6. Formally announce their candidacy for the presidency. - 13What did George W. Bush and John Kerry do in 2004 ?They made sure of their party's nomination by 2 March to build name recognition and finance because there isn't time to do it in the primaries.
- 14Example of early campaign starter...2008: Senator Barack Obama announced he was running for the presidency 332 days before the first primary.
- 15What are 3 advantages of primaries?1) Increased level of participation; 30% in 2008
2) Removing power of the party bosses
3) Weeding out candidates not up to the gruelling contest - 16What are 3 disadvantages of primaries?1) Too expensive and media orientated
2) Bitter personal battles can develop (Hilary & Barack)
3) Too much power given to ordinary voters - 17Possible reforms?1. A national primary
2. Further limits on spending and money raising
3. States voting in order of size of population, starting with the smallest - 18Problem with these reforms?1. The National Committees and Conventions of both parties would have to agree to the same reform
2. All 50 states would need to change their state laws
3. Most states favour the current system - 19What is a National Party Convention?A National Party Convention is a meeting held once every 4 years by each party to select its presidential and vice-presidential candidate and finalise a party platform.
- 20When are NPCs held? and where?Held in the summer of the presidential year and lasts 4 days. Held in a large city: in 2012 Pubs held it in Florida and Dems in North Carolina. They are also attended by delegates.
- 21What are the 3 formal functions of a NPC?1. To choose the presidential candidate
2. To choose the vice-presidential candidate
3. Decide on the party platform - 22What is party platform?Party platform is the statement of a party's policies for an upcoming presidential election.
- 23What are the 3 informal functions of a NPC?1. To promote party unity
2. Enthuse party faithful
3. Enthuse ordinary voters - 24Why is the presidential candidate's speech important?1. The candidate will hope to display presidential qualities to voters
2. Its the first opportunity they have to address ordinary voters
3. They give and outline of their policies - 25Are modern-day conventions important?It is said that they aren't because presidential candidates are chosen in the primaries and so are the vice-presidential candidates. Also, they receive much less TV coverage which lessens their importance.
- 26What makes modern-day conventions important?The informal functions. Stephen Wayne , the Conventions 'may have become less newsworthy, but they are still important'.
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- Created by Oneica Williams · Apr 9, 2016
- Copied by misswilliams97 · Apr 9, 2016
- Copied by XAK · Apr 9, 2016
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