Introductory Terms

When is election day?

The first Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November States could have voting any day before the 3rd week in December until 1845

Article 1, Section 4, Clause 1

The times, places, and manner of holding elections for senators and representative, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof Largely a state responsibility 2020 election: counting, recounts, and certification of election were done state by state

What is limited government

a principle powers of government should be limited either through a written document or through widely shared beliefs Government should not be all empowering

Initiative

a procedure by which the voters can propose a change in state and local laws by gathering signatures on a petition -used in 24 states (not SC) - # of signatures vary across states - generally some percentage of voters in the last gubernational election (around 10%)

recall

a procedure enabling voters to remove an elected official from office before his term expires ex. there is a recall happening in California -used in 19 states (not SC) -30 states have provisions for recall of local elected officials -not frequently used -involves petitions (10% - 40% of the vote in the last election for the office in question) -they ask two questions: "should position be removed from office?" and "who do you want to take their place?" Lt. Gov stays in their place if governor is removed

Run-off election (second flashcard)

a second round in which one candidate must receive a majority

Run-off election

an election in which voters determine a winner in a race that was not decided in an earlier round of voting -can occur in primary or general elections

Referendum

an electoral device whereby legislative or constitutional measures are referred by the legislature or placed on the ballot to be voted on -used for controversial matters -proposed by legislature and directed to voters for approval -used in 23 states -15 additional states use it for approval of amendments to state constitutions

What is the rule of law

both the governed and those who govern are subject to the same laws and must obey them rather than circumvent them No one is above the law no matter what their position is

What is authoritative allocation?

decisions that can be reached by legitimate power legitimate meaning rightful and entitled to compliance on the part of the citizens

Primary election

election in which voters select the candidate that will run for the party in the general election

Partisan elections

elections in which those on the ballot are identified by their political party affiliation

Non-partisan elections

elections that are determined without reference to a candidate's party affiliation

Why didn't a direct democracy work for the United States

The country was too vast and spread out for direct democracy to work

Indirect election

voters choose their representatives indirectly through a filtering process in which they choose electors who actually select the representative -don't vote for candidate directly -presidential election in an indirect election

General election

voters select the winner of a political office

Proportional representation

- a voting system in which representatives are elected from multi-seat districts in proportion to the number of votes received

Plurality voting

- "first past the post" - single-member simple plurality - "winner take all" system -the candidate who receives the most votes (even if not a majority) wins the election

All-Mail Voting

- 5 states: Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington - registered voters receive official ballot to complete and insert security envelope, placed inside ballot return envelope, and signed by the voter -can be dropped off at any official drop box across state -must be received by 8 pm on Election Day

Ranked choice voting

- Instant run-off voting - A system of voting that relies on a ranking of candidated in order to determine a winner - Ballots contain all of the candidates for a particular office - Voters rank-order their choices rather than selecting one candidate - Ranked choice ballots are counted by first tallying the first preferences of all voters. If one candidate wins a majority of the votes, they are declared the winner - If no candidate receives a majority, the candidate who received the least first place votes is eliminated and their votes are allocated to the voter's second choice

Multi-member districts

- elections in which more than one person is elected to represent an area

Same Day Registration

19 states plus the District of Columbia offer same-day registration -allows qualified residents to go to polls or an election official's office, either before or on Election Day, to register to voter and cast a ballot, all in that day

Democracy

A system in which the ultimate political authority is vested in the people

Direct democracy

A form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives

Voter ID

All SDR states require that voters who register and vote on Election Day present documentation to verify their identity

Which ballot does the US use?

Australian Ballot - a secret ballot prepared, distributed, and counted by government officials at taxpayer expense

Traditional registration

Election officials send a non-forwardable mailing to the prospective voter in order to verify the voter's residence

Why did Madison not want a direct democracy?

He was worried that the American people were not educated enough and could be easily persuaded by demagogues, which would lead to the lack of protection of minority rights

What are the three levels of government?

National, state, and local

What is the means for resolving conflict?

Politics

SDR procedures

Proof of residency -key requirement in all states that offer same-day registration -voter must present proof of residency at time of registration -driver's license or ID card -paycheck or utility bill with an address some states also permit an already-registered voter to vouch for a person's residency of an Election Day registrant

Two Step Process

Registration -before a person can vote, they must be eligible and registered to vote in that location -aspects of elections that is a state responsibility and varies from state to state -has changed over time (states used to have residency requirements of up to 6 months) (changed to a max of 30 days by National Voter Registration Act in 1993)

What are three major sources of conflict?

Right and wrong (abortion; pornography; illegal drugs; cigarettes) --How do the people feel? What is the public opinion? --US support for legal same-sex marriage, 1996-2020 --Almost 90% of people under 30 agree that legal same sex marriage should be valid Priorities (defense; health care; education; social welfare; energy; the environment) --We have scarce resources, which means that we have conflicts --Environment v. Economy? --The trend is usually environment over the economy, but in periods of economic crisis, people tend to prioritize the economy Scarce resources (land; food; water; shelter) Battles out in the west over the water, some states are claiming water --Conflicts over shelter at the individual level, what should be the government's role in this? --Should government provide resources and equitable distribution? --Should there be societal policies in place?

Majority Voting

Two round system -Requires a majority (50% +1) in order to win the election. In multi-candidate races, if no candidate wins a majority, then the top two vote-getters face each other in a run-off election

What are the 5 fundamental principles of democracy?

Universal Suffrage Majority rule Minority Rights Limited Government Rule of Law

Direct Elections

Voters choose their representative They vote directly for their candidate

Absentee Voting

Voting that does not happen in person on Election Day but instead occurs another way (generally by mail) -all states allow for some form of absentee balloting -some states require voter to provide valid excuse, while others allow any eligible voter to cast absentee ballot

What is the Australian ballot?

a government-printed ballot of uniform dimensions to be cast in secret that many states adopted around 1890 to reduce voting fraud associated with party-printed ballots cast in public

Party column ballot

general election ballot a party's candidates are arranged in one column under the party's label and symbol

What is a single-member district

geographic units that elect only one person to represent the entire unit

Office block ballot

groups all the candidates for a particular elective office under the title of that office

Ballots cast over time

has changed significantly voice vote paper ballots were produced by the parties (different colors/shapes) Reform Movement - by the late 1880s, all states had adopted the Australian ballot

What so decision makers in a government do?

make society's rules about conflict resolution and the allocation of resources possess the power to enforce them

What is a representative democracy?

one in which the ultimate political authority rests with the people, but instead of citizens being involved directly, decisions are made through elected officials

Current system in which voters cast ballots

paper ballots (optical scan) direct recording electronic devices (DRE) -voter verifiable paper audit trails punch cards

Early Voting

permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election - no-excuse voting 39 states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting -5 states utilize all-mail voting systems Early voting periods vary from 46 days to 3 days

What is a federal system

power is divided by a written constitution between a central government and regional, or sub divisional, governments Each level must have some sphere in which its policies are dominant some genuine political or constitutional guarantee of its authority

Caucus

relatively closed affairs registered partisans attend meetings and vote to select delegates to county or state party conventions -Iowa caucus

What type of government does the US have?

representative democracy

What is minority rights?

rights that are fundamental to all members of society rights need to be protected, checks and balances a simple majority can't just take rights away from the minority

David Easton's definition of politics

the authoritative allocation of values for a society

What is government?

the permanent structure composed of decision-makers

What is universal suffrage

the right of all adults to vote

What is majority rule?

the will of the greatest number of citizens determines decisions