US Elections

Today’s Presentation

• Political parties

• Voting methods

• The Race(s)

Let’s see what you know…• On the next slide, you can type a response to

this question:

When you hear the term ‘US Elections’, what is the first word or are the first words that pop into your head?

POLITICAL PARTIES

Who is this?Why is he important to American history, specifically American elections?

GEORGE WASHINGTON

• General during the American Revolution

• 1st President of the US

• Served 2 terms

• Established protocols for serving as President

• First ‘lame duck’; first ‘incumbent’

• To which political party did Washington belong to during his tenure as president?

Who is this?ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Why is he important to American history, specifically American elections?

• Washington’s ‘right-hand-man’

• 1st Secretary of the Treasury

• Served during both of Washington’s terms

• Arch rival of Thomas Jefferson

• Believed in a strong manufacturing society

Who is this?

THOMAS JEFFERSON

Why is he important to American history, specifically American elections?

• Ambassador to France

• 1st Secretary of State

• Resigned during Washington’s 2nd term

• Arch rival of Alexander Hamilton

• Believed in a strong agricultural society

Note: preferred a ticket instead of the Constitutional rule that person who came in 2nd became VP.

https://www.thinglink.com/scene/757904165081972737Ticket

FEDERALIST PARTY (1)

NATIONAL REPUBLICANPARTY (0)

WHIGPARTY (4)

REPUBLICANPARTY (17)

DEMOCRATIC - REPUBLICAN

PARTY (4)

DEMOCRATICPARTY (16)

Who is this?

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

• 1st Republican to run for president

• 1st President assassinated in office

• Others:• James Garfield• William McKinely• John F Kennedy

• Attempted assassinations• Andrew Jackson• William Taft• Theodore Roosevelt• Herbert Hoover• Franklin D Roosevelt• Harry S Truman• Richard Nixon• Gerald Ford• Jimmy Carter• Ronald Reagen• George H W Bush• Bill Clinton• George W Bush• Barack Obama

DifferencesDEMOCRATS PLATFORM REPUBLICANS

Liberal, left-leaning Conservative, right-learning

Progressive / high minimum wage Taxes/wages Flat / set by market

↓ spending/ not willing to send to war

Military ↑ spending/ should be used more

Supports LTBG rights Civil rights Lack of support for LTBG rights

Universal / Affordable Care Act Health care Private companies/inds decide

Pathway to citizenship Immigration Quotas/ Stronger border controls

Hillary Clinton (502 = 51 + 451)Bernie Sanders (70 = 52 + 18)Martin O’Malley (0) (IA)

Running for president (now)

Donald Trump (61)Ted Cruz (11)Mario Rubio (10)John Kaisch (5)Jeb Bush (4) (SC)Ben Carson (3)NH: Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie, Jim GilmoreIA: Rick Sanatorium, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee

Where the rank and file comes from?

Democrats• Professionals: medical,

educational, academia• Working class• Voters between 18 and 49• Single, unmarried/divorced

men/women• Black (majority)• Mexican, PR, Dominican, Central

America• Chinese, Indian, Korean, Japanese,

Pacific Islanders, Filipino• Jewish (majority)• Arab (split)

Republicans• Professionals: businessmen,

bankers• More men than women• 50+ • Black (minority)• Cuban• Vietnamese, some Filipino• Some Jewish• Arab (split)

Swing states

Battleground states

So …

In what ways are the Belgian and American political systems …

(a) Similar(b) Different

VOTING METHODS

Two Basic Methods

• Direct Voting• Indirect Voting

What do you think is the definition or meaning of each method?

Direct Voting• Each voter goes to their

polling place.• While in the voting booth,

each voter casts one vote for the candidate of their choice. Used to be done with a ballot box.

• The candidate with the majority of the votes is declared the winner.

• In America: Senate, US House of Representatives, State Governments, Local Governments

Indirect Voting• Voter appears to be voting

for candidate, but they are voting for a slate of other people who have pledged support to the candidate.

• Later, these other people actually vote and their votes determine the winner.

• In America: Presidential Race

• Elsewhere: German Bundersrat, Indian upper house, Council of Europe

Voter Registration

All Americans must be registered voters regardless on the voting method.

If you are not in the country on Election Day, you vote by absentee ballot.

Indirect Voting

DELEGATES• Within a state based on

number of voters who are registered as Dem or Rep

• Democratic (4763)– Pledged (elected)– Superdelegates– Proportional distribution

• Republican (2380)– Pledged (elected)– Unpledged– Winner take all (usually)

ELECTORS• The total state• For the 50 states equal to:

– 2 Senators– # of Representatives

• Washington, DC gets 3 (they only have delegates in Congress)

• Total: 538• Needed to win: 270

Why do you think we use this system of indirect voting called the Electoral College?

Have the popular vote and electoral vote ever NOT agreed?• Four times

• 1824John Quincy Adams* vsAndrew Jackson

• 1876Rutherford B Hayes * vsSamuel Tilden

• 1888Benjamin Harris* vsGrover Clevelend

• The Big One: 2000George W. Bush* vsAl Gore

They were running neck and neck!

Has there ever been a TIE in a presidential race?• One time

• 1800• Thomas Jefferson• Aaron Buff• John Adams (incumbent)

• IMPORTANT:• At this time, candidates

ONLY ran for president; 1st place winner = president; 2nd place = vice president

• 12th Amendment: Separate electoral votes for POTUS and VPOTUS

• 1864 – Candidates for POTUS & VPOTUS form a ballot or ticket – VPOTUS is the running mate

In the case of a tie …

(1) The House of Representative votes on the president BUT each state receives ONLY ONE VOTE. Majority of 26 States needed

(2) The Senate votes on the Vice President and each Senator gets one vote. Majority of 51 needed.

If the House has not selected a president but the Senate has a VP, the VP becomes acting president on the 20th of January.If no POTUS or VPOTUS, the Speaker of House becomes president.

LANDSLIDE VICTORIES

THE RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE

THE RACE TO BE NOMINATED

THE RACE TO BE PRESIDENT

TWO RACES

The Race to be Nominated

Can you name one of the candidates who wants to be POTUS in 2017?

Basic Platforms 2016: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/what-the-candidates-believe/

What are the qualifications to be POTUS?

On the next slide, underline or circle the three qualifications as outlined by the Constitution of the United States?

Types of Campaigns

Political (Party) Campaigns• Has backing of National

Political Party

Grassroots Campaigns

ExploratoryCommittees

Announce your intention to run and begin putting together your platform.

Hit the campaign trail (1)

Focus here is to deliver stump speeches!

Candidates are on a whistle stop tour where at every stop, there are on the stump!

Televised Debatesby political party

What is the purpose of all this mudslinging?

To participate in the individual state primaries or caucuses and to win a majority of that parties’ delegates!

What is the difference between a caucus and a primary?

Caucus – a gathering of neighbours / used in Colonial times (John Adams – first recorded usage)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_oMVkSfFsw

•Iowa•Nevada•Alaska•American Samoa•Colorado•Minnesota•North Dakota

•Wyoming•Kansas•Kentucky•Maine•Hawaii•Virgin Islands•Idaho•Guam

Straw polls are often used before to test the political waters. Two most famous are in Iowa and Texas.

What is the difference between a caucus and a primary?

Primary – developed in the early 20th century – gives the people a voice in the nomination process

Works like a general election with voting booths

Closed primary: A registered voter can vote only in their political party primary.

Open primary: A registered voter can vote in either primary BUT can only vote in one.

Blanket primary: A registered voter can vote in all primaries.

SUPER TUESDAY

Campaign Trail (2): Continues or Is Suspended

As of today, 7 Republican candidates and 1 Democratic candidate (who participated in a caucus or primary) have suspended their campaigns.

The rest continue to campaign and debate. Often at this stage, we start to see smear campaigns, often put forth by Super PACs.

GOAL

To still be in the race when summer hits!

Why?

To be one or two candidates left standing at the convention.

THE CONVENTIONS

1831: 1ST political convention – the Anti-Masonic Party

Delegates vote. Winner becomes the Party’s ‘official’ nominee.

At this point, a running mate is named – usually someone who can help secure electors.

The Race to be President

Who do you think will be the Democratic and Republican nominees?

DELEGATES OUTELECTORS IN!

Goal: To secure 270 electors to win The White House.

What does this actually mean?

To achieve all states except two complete electors, the nominee must win the popular vote.

The two: Maine, Nebraska – can split electors

How are a state’s electors determined?

Campaign Trail (3)

Purpose: Turn the battleground/swing states.

More visits to battleground states.

Presidential / Vice Presidential debates

Lots of pollsters making predications

Leads up to …ELECTION DAY

Constitution states: Held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday

Early voting?

Exit polls help to declare a front runner

But, a new president cannot officially be named …

Why?ELECTION DAY is only about the popular vote.

Official electors must cast their votes

Constitution states: Sent to Congress on the 1st Monday after the 2nd Wednesday

Now, we have a new president!

What’s next?

Transition teams

Naming of Cabinet Officers

Constitution states: President to be sworn in on 20 January (Inauguration)

Who do you think should be the next

POTUS?

Questions?

Qualifications (Three)?

Must be at least 25 years old

Must be at least 45 years old

Must be at least 35 years old

Must be a citizen of the US

Must be at least a naturalised citizen

Must be a natural-born citizen

Has to have lived in the US for 14+ years

Has to have lived in the US for 10+ years

Has to have lived in the US for 24+ years