gov 2 test notes cont
What is the minimum number of states that a candidate needs to win in order to win the election? What are those states?
11 states; CA, TX, FL, GA, NC, NJ, PA, NY, OH, MI, IL
how many for the win
270
What is a Certificate of Ascertainment?
A certificate that lists the names of the electors chosen by the voters and the number of votes received; the certificate also lists the names of all other candidates for elector and the number of votes received. Each state's Certificates of Ascertainments are then sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. There is one Certificate of Ascertainment issued by 51 voting districts.
Ross Parole
ATM
Explain the original process of electing a president and vice president according to the Constitution. How does it differ from today?
After the election of 1800, the 12th Amendment was added to the Constitution. The 12th Amendment gives each elector two votes in the Electoral College, but specifies that one vote is for the president and the other is for vice president instead of two votes for president with the runner-up becoming the vice president. This amendment led to the system of a presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate running as a team that exists in presidential elections today.
Are there restrictions on who the Electors can vote for?
An elector cannot be a member of Congress; An elector cannot have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States or given aid and comfort to its enemies.
In which election did a candidate win the popular vote, yet lost the Electoral College vote and therefore the election? How is this possible?
Bush v. Gore 2000 election. This proved that the electoral college vote is the deciding factor in the elections
Ralph Nader
Consumer mag
When and where are the electors chosen to represent the State of Texas?
Electors for president and vice-president of the United States shall be elected at the general election for state and county officers held in a presidential election year.
founder of modern polling
George Gallup
During the Constitutional Convention, it had been suggested that the Senate elect one of their members to become the Vice-President. Hamilton vehemently disagrees with this proposal...what was his solution and why does he believe this will be the best mode of election?
Hamilton argues that the Vice President should be chosen through the same electoral process as the President. He believes that the only role the Senate should have in this process is choosing the Vice-President in the event of a tie. Hamilton does not trust the Senate to appoint the Vice-President, since there is a possibility that he could become the President in the event of death, thus giving too much advantage to the Senate.
Explain Hamilton's position regarding electors.
Hamilton believed that electing the president should be something that an educated person (educated on politics, matters of state, etc) should make. He felt that only those people who were informed of these matters should be selecting the leader of the country and that person should be chosen by the people to represent their voices.
In your opinion, what does Hamilton mean by "the sense of the people should operate in the choice"?
Hamilton believed that the President should be selected by both the popular vote and the electoral college, however he worried that people who didn't know much about the political system would be ruled by their "senses" and possibly swayed by political rhetoric.
Hamilton refers to the electors as "men most capable"...in your understanding of Federalist 68, who were these people, what was "capable" and why did he feel this was the correct way to elect the President?
Hamilton was concerned about corrupt people becoming President, as well as those who might not have the intellectual capacity to handle the job. Based on these fears, he proposed the following rules for the electors who would select the President:The electors meet only within their own specific states to select the President. No individuals who have "too great devotion of the President in office" No individuals who currently hold elected positions within the government may serve as electors.
What does Hamilton believe will happen if people directly elect the President?
Hamilton was concerned that people would use their emotions to elect the President, rather than their intellect and thus disregard the needs of the country.
Which two states use the district method? How does this differ from the winner‐take‐all method? What are the pros and cons to this method?
Maine & Nebraska; the winner of each district gets the votes and the overall winner for the state gets the remaining votes. Pros - more representative of population; Con - doubtful either of these states would ever be key players in selecting the President.
Who is exempt from being selected as an elector?
No Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector. No person shall be a ... elector of President and Vice-President ... who ... shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
How many electors are appointed in your state?
Texas has 38 electors, equal to the number of members of Congress representing Texas.
explain how the 12th amed modified the Constitution.
The 12th Amendment gives each elector two votes in the Electoral College, but specifies that one vote is for the president and the other is for vice president instead of two votes for president with the runner-up becoming the vice president. This amendment led to the system of a presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate running as a team that exists in presidential elections today.
How many electoral college votes does the District of Columbia receive? Where is that information stated?
The District of Columbia is allocated 3 electors as provided for in the 23rd Amendment.
Where does the ceremony take place?
The Vice-Presidential Mansion
Where does the ceremony take place?
The blue room of the White House
What is a "winner take all" system and how does it work?
The candidate that gets the majority votes in the popular elections will receive all the elector's votes in the state.
Where in the Constitution is the electoral college specifics detailed? Is this an "excellent" system of electing the President, as Hamilton believed it would be? List the two times in history when the electoral college has failed and explain what happened.
The electoral college procedures are stated in Article II, Section 1, clause 2 of the Constitution. In 1824, Andrew Jackson won the most popular votes, but no candidate won a majority of the electoral votes. The House of Representatives selected John Quincy Adams as president. (Jackson won the election four years later.) In 1876, Democratic candidate Samuel Tilden narrowly won the popular vote over Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes, but twenty contested electoral votes prevented either man from winning a majority of electors. In 1888, Republican Benjamin Harrison won a majority of the electoral vote despite losing the popular vote to his opponent, Democrat Grover Cleveland. In 2000, Democrat Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote to Republican George W. Bush, 271 to 266. The vote was so close that Gore, thinking he had lost, conceded, then retracted his concession as more votes were counted. Because the vote in Florida, a decisive state, was so close, multiple recounts were held, and the Supreme Court had to settle a lawsuit over whether recounts should continue.
When Hamilton discusses the electors, he states "their transient existence, and their detached situation...afford a satisfactory prospect." What does he mean by "transient existence" and "detached situation"?
The electors do not serve for more than one election. They are considered loyal to their party, however they have pledged to vote based on the popular vote of the people. This would make them unbiased in their decision-making, according to Hamilton.
How is the number of electors determined for each state?
The number of electors for each state is determined by the whole number of Senators and House Representatives. The District of Columbia is allocated 3 electors.
Who selects the Electors?
The political parties nominate Electors at their State party conventions or by a vote of the party's central committee in each State.
What are the qualifications to be an Elector?
There are no formal qualifications listed in the Constitution, however there are specific provisions regarding those who are prohibited from becoming an elector
Are Texas' electors required to vote for the popular vote or can they vote for whomever they choose?
There is no legal requirement for an elector in the State of Texas to vote based on the popular vote. The elector simply pledges to political parties that they will cast their vote based on the popular vote.
What are the State of Texas' qualifications to become an elector?
To be eligible to serve as a presidential elector, a person must: be a qualified voter of this state; and not hold the office of United States senator, United States representative, or any other federal office of profit or trust. To be eligible to serve as a presidential elector for a political party, a person must be affiliated with the party.
Who is swearing in the Vice-President?
US Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Who is swearing in the President?
US Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts
agents of socialization
family, school and peers, mass media, religious beliefs, race and ethnicity, gender, age, region
Buckley VS Valeo
form of protected speech
what is the role of the media campaign manager
hire, supervise, and delegate work to campaign staff and volunteers. You research, plan, and implement campaign strategies based on polls. You coordinate your candidate's calendar. You manage the campaign's fundraising and spending
platform
ideas
parties
libertarians, Republican, Demarcates
super pac
need to be independent from the person they support no limit on how much a pac can give
closed system
only registered members of the party are allowed to vote in the primary
Russ Finegold
only senator voted no on patriot act
political party
organization of people which seeks to achieve goals common to its members through the acquisition and exercise of political power.
interest group
share a common goal they supply info to public and congress. Inform public about candidates and issues, recruit and endorse candidates, contribute money to campaigns, sponsor "issue ads", form political action committees (Pacs), Grassroots organizing ex: voter registration. Iron triangle:
Texas open or closed
they are closed but can be open
what was the founding fathers opinions on parties
they hated it said it destroyed the nation
citizens united VS Fec
us supreme court said unlimited funding for pacs
open system
voters are allowed to participate on the primary election without declaring membership in a party
