American Politics - Electoral Process

Municipality

A government that locally (and partially) rules a village, town, district, etc.

How many members of Congress are there?

535 members

How are the members of Congress divided?

100 in the Senate, 435 in the House of Representatives

Congress can be divided in…

Senate and House of Representatives

For how many years do members of the Senate stay in office?

6 years

For how many years do members of the House of Representatives stay in office?

2 years

True or false: The amount of Representatives in the H.O.R. is the same for every state

False: it differs from state to state depending on the amount of citizens

Which amendment made it so that members of the Senate must be elected by popular vote since 1913?

17th amendment

Who runs primaries?

State and local governments.

What are caucuses?

Events hosted by politcal parties to elect delegates for each state. Supporters can cast their votes by raise of hand. This is more exclusive than a primary.

What are primaries?

An election event where people can anonymously vote at a booth.

What is the difference between an open and a closed primary?

During an open primary, everyone is allowed to cast a vote on anyone regardless of party. During a closed primary, voters can only select someone in their own preferred party.

True or false: To run for President, a person must have been born in the USA

True

True or false: To run for President, a person must have lived in the USA for at least 16 years

False, they must have lived in the USA for at least 14 years

True or false: To run for President, a person must be at least 30 years of age

False, they must be at least 35 years of age

How long before primaries will candidates announce their intent to run?

1 year

Where does a party select its official final Presidential nominee?

At a convention

Who selects the Vice President? The Presidential candidate, the Senate, the party members or the delegates?

The Presidential candidate

How many electoral votes can be divided?

538

There are 2 states who divide their electoral votes between both parties instead of giving them to only one. Which two states?

Maine and Nebraska

What is the term for the day on which most primaries and caucuses are held?

Super Tuesday. Takes place in either February or March and eliminates many remaining candidates.

How many electoral votes must a Presidential candidate gain in order to win the election?

270

What do we call an elector who casts their vote different from what the voters have chosen?

Faithless elector

What is gerrymandering?

Purposefully redrawing a map to advantage one party