9 markers US Elections

Explain and analyse three factors/requirements that would contribute to a successful presidential candidate?

1. Incumbency - Obama 2008 and 2012 - greater name recognition as well as bigger access to funds which can help run their campaign

2. Major party endorsement - Jill Stein only gained 0.55% of the vote.

3. Media coverage - Biden’s responses (prior Harris) were slow in comparison, painting him as an incoherent character with rising concerns for his age.

Explain and analyse three factors which effect the turnout of primaries

• Demography - older and higher incomes are more likely to show up EG North Carolina Republican primary one third earned $100,000 or more and ¾ were 45 or older.

• Type of primary - open are more likely than closed, 10/11 states saw an increase from 2008 eg Mississippi up to 105%.

• Whether the nomination has been decided or not - New York’s primary was held on super Tuesday in 2008 and had more than 600,000 votes but in 2012 it was down to 189,000 when it was held in April by which point many of the Republican candidates had dropped out.

Strategies for choosing the vice presidential candidates

• balanced ticket - Biden and Kamala Harris.

• potential in government - George W. Bush and Cheney, who had more Washington experience, brought ‘gravitas’ as ex white house chief of staff and sec. of defence

• party unity - former rivals as running mate EG Vance who used to openly dislike Trump….power move!

Explain and analyse the formal/informal functions of the national convention

Formal

• Choosing party’s presidential candidate - Need an absolute majority of the delegates Harris

• Choosing the party’s vice presidential candidate (more confirmation role now) - EG Walz

• deciding the party platform - based on hearings around the country, the platform is presented to the delegates at the convention EG Democrat’s involved tackling climate crisis and securing energy independence

  Informal

• Promoting party unity - battles personal rivalries EG the tense battle between Clinton and Sanders, whereby sanders speech had to settle continued disputes and rivalries

• Enthusing ordinary voters - acceptance speech and provokes ordinary people who may have not been paying attention to primaries, acts as first impression EG Donald Trump in 2016 make America great again

• Enthusing party faithful - 2016 Michelle Obama’s speech to help bring Clinton to victory brought delegates to their feet

• Convention bounce - Kamala did not get one, but did improve gender disparity

Explain and analyse three ways in which cultural theory could be used to study the differences between the elections and electoral systems of the USA and the UK.

What are the three constitutional requirements to become president?

• Natural born american citizen

• At least 35 years old (youngest ever Theodore Roosevelt)

• residency qualification of 14 years

What are three extra constitutional requirements to become president

• Political experience; senate is a gateway into presidential office, (more prestigious)EG Kamala Harris as a candidate.

• Major party endorsement; Jill stein only getting 0.55% of the vote.

• Personal characteristics means you are telegenic - Joe Biden on the tv debates subsequently led to him stepping down.

Explain and analyse three purposes of the ‘invisible primaries’

• Fundraising - (isn’t that big of an indicator however allows more campaigning and momentum going into the first primary); Ben Carson came first in campaigning totals but didn’t win )

• Candidate announcements; EG Hilary Clinton, 3 months after four others.

• Front runners; whoever’s leading in the polls was usually confirmed as the nominee - Donald Trump won and became president, so did Mitt Romney, and George w. Bush

Two types of primary?

open and closed

Became significant in 2008 when many independents and republicans voted for Obama for democrats candidate.

Explain and analyse three functions of campaign finance in elections

• organisation - field offices - means they can send out people (GOTV operation on election day) to advocate. Clinton had 489 v Trump’s 178.GOTV election day!!!..some even allowing early voting

• campaign; Harris 1.5 billion campaign. Going around states and advocating eg Swing states.

• media; Trump broke blue wall in 2016 (Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania), aiming negative ads at areas Clinton was meant to win. Harris groups spent over 1bn using social media advertising, with 400mln spent on Pennsylvania alone.

Three requirements to be member of house or senate?

House

• at least 25

• American citizen for at least 7 years

• resident of the state they are present

  (also locality rule - have to be part of district)

  Senate

• 30

• resident for at least 9 years

• resident of the state represented

Three uses of examples of propositions in the USA

• right to abortion - Florida - not passed

• legalise marijuana - not passed

• minimum wage increase in 2016 - approved in Arizona

Different election types?

• presidential

• congressional every two years and senate 1/3 every two years EG Ashley moody for Floridan as senator.

• recall elections for governors; direct form of impeachment - arnold Schwarzenegger defeated gray Davis in 2003.

Other factors which lead to a successful presidential candidate?

• ability to raise large sums of money - fundraising is important eg Hillary Clinton raised $130 million (although Bernie was not far behind at $96 million)…it wasn’t that significant in this election

• oratorical skills and intelligence…Donald Trump’s mastery of the media

• sound and relevant policies (Trump an exception, although he did make it relevant in terms of jobs and immigration)

• Front runners; Donald Trump was 16 points ahead of rival, and Hillary was 14 by the end of the invisible primaries

Types of primary…

• closed

• open - 2008 many republicans and independents cast their votes for obama

• modified

Debate rules of thumb/successful tv debates?

• style over substance; Trump’s abrasive tone ‘you’re wrong’ blahblah blah…’because you’d be in jail’, Joe Biden’s inability to finish sentences ‘sleepy joe’, continued interruptions ‘will you shut up man?’

• good sound bites

• verbal gaffes can be costly; ‘they’re eating the cats’…made into a song, widespread fact checking

Trends in congressional success?

• Incumbency is significant - 97% in 2024!!!

• split ticket voting is declining; In 2020, Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District voted for Joe Biden (D) for president but elected a Republican House member.

• fewer competitive districts

three forms of direct democracy?

• propositions

• recall elections

• referendums