Category 1
How many electors does it take to win the presidential election?
270
How is the number of electors determined for each state?
Population
What institution determines who wins the presidential election?
Electoral College
Why are 3rd parties formed?
- To back a candidate
- Draw votes away from one of the main parties and influence the outcome
What are the 2 main political parties in the United States?
Republican and Democrat
What are the requirements for voting in the general election?
Must be 18 years old, Some polling places require an ID, Citizen of the US, Not a felon
What are the main platform beliefs of the Democratic Party?
Higher taxes to support govt programs, regulating the economy, gun right restrictions, LGBTQ and abortion rights, less restriction on immigration, pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, more govt intervention to help people, welfare programs.
What are the main platform beliefs of the republican party?
Lower taxes, deregulation on the economy, gun rights and restrictions on abortion, restriction on immigration, military spending, less govt intervention and spending
Explain why the United States has a two party system and not multiple parties such as countries like Great Britain and Germany.
Major Parties: Parties with significant control
Began with natural division between federalist and antifederalist
What is the difference between and open and closed primary?
Open Primary: You do not need to be a member of a particular party to vote for the candidate
Closed primary: You must be a registered party member to vote for a member of a particular party
Intra party races to represent the party in the general election are called what?
Primary elections
What are some important factors in winning an election?
Money, organization, reputation and popularity
What is a party's platform?
A parties set of beliefs or goals
How important are the votes of the electors in winning a presidential election?
It's what determines the winner of the election.
What are the demographics for voters who typically vote democrat?
Women
Age 18-29
Liberal
Income of less than 50,000
African American
What are the demographics for voters who typically vote republican?
Men
45+
Conservative
Income of 100,000+
White
An elector who doesn't cast a vote for the candidate to whom he or she pledged is called
a faithless elector
What is propaganda?
A message meant to influence ideas, opinions, or actions
What are some ways that a candidate reach voters?
Messages from the candidate, Advertisements in the media, Interest groups
What is a political party?
An organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular countries elections
What are usually key battleground states in the US
NC
PA
GA
WI
MI
AZ
When does the electoral college vote?
on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December following the presidential election.
What makes an effective ad?
Emotion, Truth, Persuasion, Style
How many years is a presidential term?
4 years
10 years