Presidential Elections Flashcards

Study Notes

Political Party Nominations

Presidential candidates are nominated at National Party Conventions in election year August.
Delegates, typically bound by primary votes, select the nominee through majority voting.
About 70% of states use primary elections while 30% utilize caucuses.
The invisible primary determines which candidate garners the most initial support prior to official nominations.

Role and Selection of Delegates

Delegates are responsible for selecting presidential nominees at the national convention.
Delegate allocation varies by state and party, with each state party setting its own rules.
Different methods for delegate selection include primaries, state party conventions, and caucuses.
Republican delegates can be allocated via proportional rules or winner-take-all; Democrats predominantly use proportional allocation.

Timing of Nomination Events

Early primaries and caucuses, such as those in Iowa and New Hampshire, have a significant impact on the nomination process.
Candidates performing well in initial contests create a "bandwagon effect," gaining momentum for subsequent primaries.
Later states in the primary calendar often see a less competitive race, as earlier outcomes heavily influence results.

Electoral College Mechanics

Comprised of presidential electors selected every four years, the electoral college indirectly represents public voting intentions.
Each state's electors equal its number of representatives and senators; most states use a winner-take-all system for allocation, except Maine and Nebraska.
Candidates require a majority of 270 electoral votes to win the presidency, with the House of Representatives electing the president if no candidate achieves this.

Candidate Strategies in Electoral College

Campaign strategies prioritize swing states, where voters are more evenly divided, warranting more resources and attention.
States firmly leaning Democratic or Republican often see reduced campaign efforts.
Citizens in swing states tend to be more engaged and informed due to the heightened competition.

Disadvantages in Electoral College System

Habitually Democratic or Republican states receive less candidate attention, resulting in a lack of representation for voters in those areas.
The focus on swing states can marginalize the voices of voters in consistent partisan states, undermining the overall democratic engagement.

Description

Explore the process of how political parties nominate their presidential candidates. This quiz covers the role of the invisible primary, National Party Conventions, and delegate selection. Test your knowledge on the key aspects of the nomination process!