U.S. Government and Electoral College Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards reviewing key political concepts, election mechanics, and constitutional principles discussed in the lecture.

Electoral College

The body of electors selected by political parties who officially cast votes to elect the President of the United States.

538

The grand total number of electoral votes in the U.S. Electoral College system, equal to the total members of the House of Representatives plus two senators for each state and electors for D.C.

270

The majority number of electoral votes required to win the U.S. presidential election, equal to just over half ($51\%$) of the 538 total votes.

Winner-Take-All System

An electoral method used by most states where the presidential candidate who receives the highest popular vote in a state wins all of that state's electoral votes.

Nebraska and Maine

The only two U.S. states that do not use a winner-take-all system in the Electoral College, instead dividing their state into districts to allocate electors.

2016 Presidential Election

A presidential election where Donald Trump won the presidency via the Electoral College despite Hillary Clinton winning the national popular vote by approximately 7,000,000 votes.

Constitutional Republic

The specific form of government of the United States, operating as a system governed by law and representative democratic values rather than a direct democracy.

Federation

The U.S. structure of government positioned between a confederation and a unitary system, where individual states retain sovereignty while sharing enumerated powers with the national government.

Separation of Powers

The constitutional division of national power into three separate branches so that no single branch determines or controls who runs another branch.

Checks and Balances

The constitutional mechanism that allows each of the three branches of government to limit and monitor the actions of the other branches.

Consent of the Governed

A primary principle of the U.S. Constitution asserting that government authority is derived indirectly through the representation and agreement of the people.

Primary Election

An election where party members within a state vote to choose the Democratic and Republican candidates who will face off in the general election.