Chapter 12

election purpose

legitimizes and organizes gov, choose issues and policy priorities, electorate gives winners a mandate

primary elections

voters decide which candidates within a party will represent the party in the general election, january-august, closed and open

closed primary

only declared members of a party can vote to decide which candidates the party will support (PA has this type)

open primary

any qualified voter may vote to decide which candidates a party will support

general election

held on the 1st tuesday, after 1st monday, in november, contest between candidates of opposing parties

initiative election

process that allows citizens to get a proposal on a ballot

referendum election

process that allows citizens to vote to uphold or repeal existing legislation

recall election

process that allows voters to remove elected official before next scheduled election, occurs in 39 states but processes vary

nomination campaign

time for candidates to learn how to be in political spotlight; seek party and interest group support; and test themes, slogans, and strategies

caucus

local, in-person meeting where party members gather to choose which candidate they support; people discuss, persuade, ad physically group together to show support; results help determine how many delegates each candidate gets; end result is who the party nominates for potus

electoral college in potus election

each state has 2 slates (gop and dem) of electors based on state’s number of reps and 2 senators, voters technically voting for slate of electors, winning slate of electors meet to officially cast votes, made up of 538 electors, 270 votes to win

electoral college effects

sometimes flouts will of the public, 48 states use winner-take-all (besides Maine and Nebraska), causes leading candidates to only spend money and campaign in swing states

electoral college criticisms

whoever represents popular vote should be potus, deprives voters in non-swing states from being heard, minority party voters in those states have little incentive to vote since their votes won’t affect the outcome

congressional elections

receive little national attention compared to potus elections, majority of party nominees not well known, incumbents tend to win

why incumbents lose

redistricting, scandals, presidential coattails, midterm present threat to incumbents that are same party as president, voters tend to punish potus for inaction between 6th and 8th year of presidency

start at 12.2 11/19