Elections

1
Elections

• GOVT 311 Lecture 2

2
What is a Democracy?
3
What is a Democracy?

• First Amendment Rights
• Freedom of Organization
• Freedom of Press and Speech
• Choice
• Fair Elections
• Right to vote
• Votes counted fairly
• Votes translate into representation fairly
• Equal protection due process

4
Political Culture Lending Legitimacy to Our
Government

• Citizens cite political reasons why they love
  America
• Equality vs. Freedom and Individualism
• Majority rule vs. Minority protections
• Elites have more government support (FZ p19).
• People dont trust government (FZ p21) but they
  support the institutions.
• External and internal efficacy
• A government must meet the expectations of its
  people.

5
Learning our Political Culture

• Socialization Transmission of beliefs from one
  generation to the next.
• Children develop an attachment to the word
  democracy by the 3rd grade, but the meaning of
  the concept develops more slowly. (FZ p26).
• Partisanship is discouraged in classroom, while
  non-partisan stands are emphasized.
• Little evidence to suggest teachers can change
  partisanship of students.

6
Elections

• Congressional, state legislatures, statewide
  offices, etc.
• Primaries and General Elections in Single Member
  Districts
• vs.
• Presidential Elections
• Party Nominating Conventions and the Electoral
  College

7
Single Member Districts

• Plurality win whoever gets the most votes
  wins the election, tends to support only two
  political parties
• Proportional Representation allows smaller
  parties a chance to win, supports more parties at
  cost of governing
• Reapportionment and Redistricting How districts
  are drawn matters to election outcomes

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The Gerry-mander
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The Perfect District
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The Perfectly Ugly District
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Partisan vs. Incumbent Gerrymandering
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Is this a Gerrymander?
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Presidential Elections

• Presidential Primaries The Quest for Convention
  Delegates
• Proportional Representation vs. Winner Take All
• Primaries (New Hampshire) vs. Caucuses (Iowa)
• Front Loading and Regional Primaries
• The Convention Delegates tend to be party
  activists, but selection of delegates has shifted
  from national and statewide party organizations
  to local organizations

14
Presidential Elections

• The Electoral College Compromise of Founding
  Fathers between vote by Congress for President
  and Popular Vote. Fear of power of the masses.

15
Direct Democracy

• Initiative
• Referendum