American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction potx

[...]... concentrate on themes that the reader can apply in the immediate context and into the future In my case, the difficulty was exacerbated because American political parties and elections are of interest to an American audience familiar in a general way with much of the process, and to a non -American audience to whom the electoral process in the United States is not only unfamiliar but also significantly... Kerry’s By contrast, advertising in California, Texas, and New York were all well below the national average Because electoral votes are cast on a state-by-state basis and not nationally, two candidates with virtually the same vote total might receive significantly different electoral vote counts; the system benefits candidates who are strong in one state or region and weak nationally as opposed to those... winner-take-all result 13 The context of American elections and political parties But also few are aware of how the Electoral College actually works and therefore, of what changes could be made The functioning of the Electoral College has evolved since the ratification of the Constitution The most fundamental change followed the development of political parties as campaign organizations (see chapter 2) As a. .. power-shifting was unimaginable Do citizens participate easily and freely in the political process? In Denmark and Germany, turnout in typical elections for the legislature averages nearly 90 percent; in Poland and Switzerland, 1 American political parties and elections closer to 50 percent; and in recent U.S elections, around 33 percent have voted in midterm elections and about 50 percent in presidential To... for non -American readers If not, as in all else, the fault is mine alone American Political Parties and Elections As has been true for more than a dozen years, my most significant debt is to my wife, Patrice Franko We have both been on sabbatical leave this year Some might think that two professors spending a year together—each working on a book project and, even more amazingly, working on another... bask in the glory of those above you on the ballot and hope that you can ride to office on their coattails; in 2004 5 The context of American elections and political parties First, Americans elect more than 500,000 public officials, more than is the case in any other democracy We separately elect executives, legislators, and in some cases judges (that varies from state to state), at the federal, state,... president and vice president American political parties and elections In a parallel manner, state legislators in closely divided states realized that if the size of the prize were enhanced—all of the state’s electoral votes as opposed to just the margin between those allotted to the winner and those allotted to the loser under another system—candidates would concentrate more on that state Again, when... numbers assume no additional vacancies in the Senate due to death or resignation in the off year, that is, the year in which a president is not being chosen, is typically 75 percent of that in presidential election years Most attention is paid to the gubernatorial race when it is atop the ballot United States Senate and congressional races get most 7 American political parties and elections attention... wives among our friends Sandy Maisel Rome, Maine November 2006 xvi Chapter 1 The context of American elections and political parties Americans are proud—justifiably proud, given its longevity—of their democratic electoral system Yet, truth be told, few Americans and even fewer observers from other nations understand the American electoral process Most citizens of democratic regimes evaluate other democracies... that the Electoral College fostered democracy It was a compromise crafted by a political elite to guarantee a desired result The Electoral College in the Contemporary Context I am not aware of anyone who today would argue in favor of the Electoral College as the ideal way to select the president Arguments are often raised against specific changes—in fact, these arguments have prevailed in all recent attempts . Sidebottom ANGLICANISM Mark Chapman THE ANGLO-SAXON AGE John Blair ANIMAL RIGHTS David DeGrazia ARCHAEOLOGY Paul Bahn ARCHITECTURE Andrew Ballantyne ARISTOTLE Jonathan Barnes ART HISTORY Dana Arnold ART. class="bi x0 y0 w0 h0" alt="" American Political Parties and Elections: A Very Short Introduction Very Short Introductions available now: AFRICAN HISTORY John Parker and Richard Rathbone AMERICAN. difficulty was exacerbated because American political parties and elections are of interest to an American audience familiar in a general way with much of the process, and to a non -American audience