(5) How is the US political system structured?

The Senate (Upper house)
1. States are represented equally by 2 senator from each state (Washington DC elects 2 shadow senators - officials of DC City government, NOT members of Senate)
2. 100 members
3. Senators are indirectly elected - changed under the 17th amendment (1913) from the use of state legisatures
4. In post for 6 years
5. Senators have to be...
  1. 30 years old or more at the time of taking oath into office
  2. Have been a US citizen for more than 9 years
  3. A resident of the state for which he/she is being elected for
6. The President of the Senate is selected by the Senate but can be the vice-President - this is currently the case with Joe Biden presiding over the Senate.
How is a Senator elected?
1. Elections are staggered so a third of the house are up for election every two years (but not both positions for a state)
2. The next "class" (third of the house) - Class II - are due for re-election on January 3rd 2015.
3. Most states have primary elections to decide the candidates that will appear on the ballot paper in November. Some state parties hold conventions too.
4. Election winners are decided by the plurality rule - the candidate who wins the highest number of votes, wins. This is not the majority, but the most.
5. Majority party representatives may be placed on the ballot paper automatically whereas minority or independent candidates may have to submit evidence of support from voters to have name added.
6. Election Day is on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
The House of Representatives (Lower house)
1. 435 members
2. 2 years post
3. Head of the majority party is the speaker of the house - currently Republican John Boehner (bay-ner)
4. A representative must be
  1. 25 years old
  2. A US citizen for at least 7 years
  3. An inhabitant of the state in which they are to represent
How is a congressman/woman elected?
1. Called mid-term elections - every two years and all posts are up for election
2. Elected from congressional districts (not constituencies)
3. Districts are determined by a census taken every decade (2000,2010,2020) and re-distiction takes place depending on the number of people living in the state eligible to vote
4. Republican Majority leader is Eric Cantor and Democrat leader is Nancy Pelosi
What is the current political situation in the HoR?
1. In 1956 Eisenhower (Rep) found that Congress was controlled by the Democrats
2. Clinton found in 1997 that he had popular mandate as President but Congress dominated by Republicans
3. Dem: 199 Rep:233 Vacant:3
4. Vacancies: 3 resignations in August - Virginia, New Jersey and Florida (importantly Eric Cantor (R) resigned 18th August)
What is the current political situation in the Senate?
1. IN 1980, Regan (Rep) was supported by a majority in the Senate BUT the HoR was controlled by the Democrats.
2. Obama is supported by majority in Senate BUT HoR controlled by Republicans
3. Dem: Rep: 45 Independent (caucus decided supporting Dem: 2
So how is the President elected?
1. Electoral College
  1. This was created by the founding father who were suspicious of direct democracy
  2. Electoral votes are based on congressional representation - the number of senators & representatives (1 for each rep & 2 for Senators)
  3. E.g. in 2008 California had 55 (2+53) whereas Wyoming had 3 (2+1). Washington DC ALWAYS has Just 3 votes as it is not a state.
  4. Total number of votes is 538
  5. 270 votes are needed to win the presidential vote
  6. On Election Day, voters in each state choose the Electors by casting for votes for the presidential candidate of their choice. The Electors' names may not appear on the ballot under the Presidential candidate's name.
  7. The "winner takes all" - the most popular candidate wins all the votes for that state. The only two exceptions to this is Nebraska and Maine, where proportional representation of Electors is used (state winner is allocated 2 Electors and the winner of each congressional district receives an Elector)
  8. Electors (members of the college) send the results in the Monday after the second Wednesday in December to the Vice-President.
  9. Vice-President counts the votes and announces the result in a joint-session of Congress in early January.

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(5) How is the US political system structured?

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	Created by Marcus Danvers over 10 years ago