American Electoral Systems
- Created by: Bethbradney
- Created on: 03-04-18 11:57
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- Electoral Systems of the USA
- Electoral Process
- 1. Self Nomination
- candidates will nominate themselves up to 2 years before the election
- may form an exploratory committeeto see if they have what it takes
- 2. Campaign to Win Party Nomination
- occurs in the spring before the general eleciton
- parties will hold primaries and caucuses to choose their candidate
- the first state to hold a caucus is Iowa (Feb 1st 2016)
- the first state to hold a primary is New Hampshire(9th Feb 2016)
- Super Tuesday
- the first tuesday in March where the majority of states hold their primaries and caucuses (1st March 2016)
- front loading - the increasing tendency of states to hold their primaries and caucuses earlier in the season.
- this increases state influence as the earlier the primary or caucus the earlier the nomination is secured.
- 3. National Nominating Convention
- Held in the summer before the election
- challenging party goes first followed by the incumbent (2016: Rep 18th-21st July. Dem 25th-28th July)
- 4. Presidential Campaign Trial
- occurs from September to November before the election
- includes political aids, televised debates, travelling, campaigning and stumping
- 5. General Election
- takes place on the tuesday after the first monday in November (8th November 2016)
- the electoral college is used to determine the winner
- 6. Electoral College
- when voters cast their ballot they are voting for a party's state electors
- these people cast their vote for the president - known as Electoral Votes
- # of senates + # of representative= # of electoral votes
- need 270 EC votes to win
- faithless electors
- a member of the electoral college who does not vote for who they are pledged to vote for
- in 2016 there were 7 faithless electors
- in 2000, Barbara Lett-Simmons abstained from voting Dem in Washington DC
- only ever been 167 faithless electors in the USA
- however, they have never affected the election outcome
- in some states it is a criminal offence to be. faithless electors
- occurs 41 days after the election
- What happens if there is a tie?
- there will be a vote in the House of Reps where each state gets one extra vote.
- when voters cast their ballot they are voting for a party's state electors
- 7. inauguration
- takes place on January 20th, unless the winner is undecided or it falls on a sunday
- president is sworn in by the Lord Chief Justice
- 1. Self Nomination
- Direct Democracy
- Initiatives
- initiatives are bottom up so citizens can initiate their own state referendums
- the number of signatures required on a petition ranges.
- California requires 10% of the turnout of the previous gubernatorial election to sign the petition in order for an initiative to take place
- if the petition gains the required number of signatures within 180 days then it will be placed on a ballot
- Examples from California
- Proposition 8 - abolition of gay marriage (2008)
- Proposition 187 - illegal immigrants (1994)
- proposition 12 - abolition of the death penalty (2012)
- Referendums
- there has never been a national referendum in the UK
- Delaware prohibits referendums and is the only state that does not require popular approval of state constitutional changes
- all states (except Delaware) require a referendum when considering state constitutional changes
- James Madison was concerned that direct democracy was a violation of minorities and encourages mobocracy
- Recall Provisions
- allow for recall by popular vote following a petition
- only ever been 2 governors recalled
- California - Gray Davis (2003) and Wisconsin Scott Walker (2012)
- Initiatives
- Election Funding
- PACS
- an organisation whose purpose is to raise funds to campaign for candidates races to office
- e.g. NRA's PAC is the Political Victory Fund
- often the financial arms of pressure groups
- Federal Election Campaign Act 1974
- placed limits on election spending
- Buckley v Valeo 1976
- overruled the rule that limits individual and candidate donations and spending
- Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act 2002
- banned soft money, banned ads by FEC exempt groups within 60 days of a general election and 30 days of a primary or caucus
- 527 Groups
- FEC exempt groups who are unregulated so they do not expressly advocate for the election or defeat of a candidate or party
- Swift Vets and prisoners of war for truth were fined in 2006 for advocating election defeat
- Citizens United v FEC 2010
- overturned limits on advertising for FEC exempt groups
- PACS
- Electoral Process
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