Day 9 notes
- 1. Political Campaigns and Elections Day 9 TCI Ch10 July 2, 2008
- 2. Notes - Day 9 (TCI Ch 10) Essential Question: Elections and voting: Why should they matter to you?
- 3. Political Campaigns and Elections plurality - largest number of votes in an election; possible to win without plurality (more than 2 candidates or Al Gore) winner-take-all-system - electoral system that awards offices to the highest vote-getters without ensuring representation for the minority. Slim majority can control all elected offices.
- 4. Right to Vote 1789 - only white males who owned property could vote 1820s - all white males could vote 1870 - all males could vote 1920 - women vote 1924 - American Indians could vote 1971 - 18 year olds could vote
- 5. Eligibility To vote you must be: US citizen at least 18 resident of the state legally registered voter - should be easy to encourage voting
- 6. The Nomination Process primary election - voters determine their political party’s nominee for an elective office general election - voters choose among candidates from different parties to fill elective office
- 7. Primaries closed primary - voting limited to registered party members open primaries - voters decide which party to vote in on Election Day blanket primary - voters can a candidate from any party’s list
- 9. General Elections presidential elections - every four years: pres, VP, 1/3 of Senate, all of House, state and local officials midterm election - 1/3 of Senate, all of House, most governors, state and local officials off-year election - local elections
- 10. More stuff term limits - only federal official with term limit is President; states can have term limits for state officials stump speech - standard speech which candidate repeats throughout election battleground states - vote will be close, get more attention from candidates
- 11. Electoral College states now allow voters to choose electors you vote for electors who pledge to vote for your candidate number of electoral votes = nnumber of reps in Congress (need 270 of 538 to win) In no majority, House picks - each state one vote
- 12. Electoral College criticism - undemocratic; however, small states are kept important congressional district method - national popular vote -
- 13. Financing Elections money comes from: donors (up to $2300) candidate - loans to oneself Political Party PACs (up to $5000)
- 14. end of notes include 10.5 later?