Questions and Answers
What are the requirements to be president?
Natural born citizen, minimum age of 35 years, US resident for 14 years.
What is a primary?
Party members vote for the best candidate that will represent them in the general election.
What is a caucus?
Party members select the best candidate through a series of discussions and votes.
In a closed primary, only a party's registered voters are eligible to cast a ballot.
Signup and view all the answers
In an open primary, party members are the only ones allowed to participate.
Signup and view all the answers
What is crossover voting?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a runoff primary?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a general election?
Signup and view all the answers
What is an initiative?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a referendum?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a recall?
Signup and view all the answers
In a winner-take-all primary, the candidate who wins the most votes in a state secures all of that state's delegates.
Signup and view all the answers
Democrats typically use a proportional representation primary system.
Signup and view all the answers
Why are primaries more popular?
Signup and view all the answers
What is front-loading?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the Electoral College?
Signup and view all the answers
What is reapportionment?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the congressional district plan?
Signup and view all the answers
What is an elector?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a delegate?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a super delegate?
Signup and view all the answers
How is the number of people from each state in the Electoral College decided?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Presidential Requirements
- Must be a natural born citizen of the United States.
- Minimum age requirement is 35 years.
- Must have resided in the U.S. for at least 14 years.
Primaries
- Primaries are elections where party members vote for candidates to represent them in the general election.
- Can be classified as closed or open, determining who can participate.
Caucuses
- Caucuses involve party members selecting candidates through discussions and votes rather than traditional ballot casting.
Types of Primaries
- Closed Primary: Voting limited to registered party members only.
- Open Primary: Allows participation from party members, independents, and sometimes members from opposing parties.
- Crossover Voting: Voting in a primary election by an individual not affiliated with that party.
- Runoff Primary: A secondary election between the top two candidates from the first primary.
General Election
- Electorate votes to determine which candidates will hold public office positions.
Legislative Processes
- Initiative: Citizens can propose legislation or amendments for a popular vote.
- Referendum: Proposals from state legislature submitted to voters for approval.
- Recall: A rare election mechanism that enables voters to remove an incumbent from office before the next regular election.
Delegate Allocation
- Winner-Take-All Primary: Candidate with the most votes secures all delegates from that state, not allowed by Democrats.
- Proportional Representation Primary: Delegates awarded in proportion to the number of votes received, used by Democrats.
Popularity of Primaries
- Generally more popular due to higher voter turnout and similarities to general elections.
Front-Loading
- States often schedule early primaries, benefiting frontrunners and those successful in the "invisible primary."
Electoral College
- Composed of representatives from each state who cast votes to elect the president, based on the combined number of senators and representatives from each state.
Reapportionment
- The process of reallocating House of Representatives seats following the decennial census based on population changes.
Congressional District Plan
- A proposal to maintain the Electoral College while awarding one electoral vote per congressional district won and two bonus votes for the state winner.
Electors and Delegates
- Elector: Casts votes in the Electoral College during the general election.
- Delegate: Votes in the primary election, typically reflecting the voters' preferences at the national convention.
- Super Delegate: Influential party members (e.g., former presidents) with freedom to vote regardless of state affiliation.
Electoral College Representation
- The number of electors from each state is determined by the total of its senators (always 2) and representatives in the House.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Test your knowledge on the requirements to be president and the processes of primaries and caucuses in the United States. These flashcards cover key terms and definitions essential for understanding electoral participation. Perfect for AP Government students preparing for their exams.
