Introduction
This being a general election year, it is logical that the air will be filled with much political activity. There will be a lot of campaigning and selling of ideas and ideologies to the public in a bid to rally for support. There is a two party system and much as critics try to justify independence from the system, it is hard to refute the fact that parties in the United States of America, just like in many other parts of the world, are the best means through which citizens believe themselves to be well represented. According to research, there has been a record number of individuals registering and classifying themselves as ‘independent’, yet in a very real sense it has been noted that even those declared ‘independents’, have very strong and undeniable partisan leanings and affiliations (America.gov ARCHIVE, 2008).
Content: Prediction Analysis
One of the factors that will help us give a clear prediction of the presidential election is a study of the voter decision making process. Upon reading of the two chapters we find out that the Republican Party has the tendency to make very conservative decisions especially in economic matters, while on the contrary the Democratic Party has a different strategy and approach to people because they think it wise to let people have a say in affairs that affect them directly and this includes being very flexible to changes as the worlds is changing rapidly.
Taking the two-to-battle candidates at a glance, we will see a clear projection of what might probably happen. The incumbent president Obama has a lot of rallied support as compared to Romney the most probable republican flag bearer. According to research, the incumbent has a lot of support (270towin) and it is clearly kno...
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Gerber, S., A. Does Campaign Spending Work?: Field Experiments Provide Evidence and Suggest New Theory. As retrieved on March 22nd, 2012 from http://karlan.research.yale.edu/fieldexperiments/pdf/Gerber_Does%20Campaign%20Sp nding%20Work.pdf
Hillygus, S., D., Jackman, S. (2000). Voter Decision Making in Election 2000: Campaign Effects, Partisan Activation and the Clinton Legacy. As viewed on March 22nd, 2012 from http://www.duke.edu/~hillygus/documents/HillygusJackman.pdf
Kimberling, C., W. The Pro’s and Con’s of the Electoral College System. The Electoral College. As viewed on March 22nd, 2012 from http://uselectionatlas.org/INFORMATION/INFORMATION/electcollege_procon.php
OpenSecrets. Center for Responsive Politics. As viewed on March 23rd, 2012 from http://www.opensecrets.org/
The United States is a privileged country with freedoms and opportunities many countries strive to achieve. People come into the United States in hopes to obtain these rights and make a better life for themselves; they strive to achieve “The American Dream.” Citizens are given the chance to vote, speak their mind, and live according to their desires without prejudice. However, the same government that promises hope has flaws that frustrate the American people; the Electoral College is one topic of debate. Many feel this system is a safe way to regulate who leads the country, while others feel that issues should be left to popular vote.
For the most part, the connection between the Presidential election process of 1788 and the present Presidential election procedure are both determined through the Electoral College process. The Electoral College process made sure people played a crucial role in the selection of the President of the United States. As was previously stated, I have expounded on the process of how the President is elected; the vital role that people played in the election, and the responsibility of the House of Representatives in response to the
The U.S. president is a person deemed to be the most fitting person to lead this country through thick and thin. It’s been such a successful method that it has led to 43 individual men being put in charge of running this country. However, this doesn’t mean that each one has been good or hasn’t had an issue they couldn’t resolve when in office. But no matter what, each one has left a very unique imprint on the history and evolution of this nation. However when two are compared against one another, some rather surprising similarities may be found. Even better, is what happens when two presidents are compared and they are from the same political party but separated by a large numbers of years between them. In doing this, not only do we see the difference between the two but the interesting evolution of political idea in one party.
Though he is aware that these parties are likely to grow, he advises that “wise people” (Washington, 1796) will discourage it. He cautions that in promoting political parties the danger arises of one party seeking the upper hand and that it ignites animosity at the expense of the public.
The Electoral College has been the favored method by the United States to elect the president for many years. When the College was first created in 1787 it was seen as an efficient and reliable way to vote the president into office. It has been more than 2 centuries since this method of electing was chosen and many things have changed in U.S. society. The Electoral College is failing to keep up with these advancements in society and a new method must be chosen soon.
Due to the discrepancy between the winner of the popular vote and the winner of the electoral college in the most recent election, there has been a lot of talk about eliminating the electoral college and moving to a direct popular vote. While many people argue for this shift, usually with little knowledge of what a popular vote election would look like, there are also many citizens who are opposed to the idea. In our polarized political climate, this fact is not surprising. Those who support the electoral college defend it by claiming that it is not only constitutional, but it also represents the whole county, and makes for a more certain, legitimate election process.
Voting is at the center of every democratic system. In america, it is the system in which a president is elected into office, and people express their opinion. Many people walk into the voting booth with the thought that every vote counts, and that their vote might be the one that matters above all else. But in reality, America’s voting system is old and flawed in many ways. Electoral College is a commonly used term on the topic of elections but few people actually know how it works.
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Shugart, Matthew. "Elections: The American Process of Selecting a President: A Comparative Perspective." Presidential Studies, 34, 3 (September 2004): 632-656.
The Electoral College: Not a School, a Problem. May 24, 1984. How The Electoral College Works? Federal Election Commission. www.fec.gpv/pages/ecworks.htm 10/20/01.
There is much debate in the United States whether or not there is polarization between our two dominate political parties. Presidential election results have shown that there is a division between the states; a battle between the Democratic blue states and the Republican red states. And what is striking is that the “colors” of these states do not change. Red stays red, and blue stays blue. Chapter 11 of Fault Lines gives differing views of polarization. James Wilson, a political science professor at Pepperdine University in California, suggests that polarization is indeed relevant in modern society and that it will eventually cause the downfall of America. On the contrast, Morris Fiorina, a political science professor at Stanford University, argues that polarization is nothing but a myth, something that Americans should not be concerned with. John Judis, a senior editor at The New Republic, gives insight on a driving force of polarization; the Tea Party Movement. Through this paper I will highlight the chief factors given by Wilson and Judis which contribute to polarization in the United States, and will consider what factors Fiorina may agree with.
Party identification is the political party that an individual categorizes themselves with. Political parties came about as a way to organize citizens with similar beliefs and attitudes. These parties then attempt to influence the government by electing members into office. Today there are two main parties people can identify with: Republican and Democrat. There is also a third choice, being an Independent, but for the purpose of this paper this group will not be recognized as a political party.
Beginning at the time the Electoral College was put into place, many debated over its pros and cons. As time has gone on, more and more people have begun to show support for a change in the system (Saad 2013). After George W. Bush defeated AL Gore in the 2000 election by losing popular vote, but winning the college, leading to a “legal recount contest”, many began to question the fairness of the college (Cohen, 2010). This marked the “third time in the nation’s history” the less popular candidate has taken office (Longley). However, the Electoral College should remain in place because it ensures the continuation of a Representative Democracy, maintains a two party system, and because currently no plausible plan has been produced as a means of replacement.
There are two ways to get rid of the causes of factions, or political parties. The first way of removing these causes is to destroy the liberty essential to their existence. The second way to get rid of the causes is to give everyone the exact same o...
In closing, Washington had warned the people about the dangers of the political party saying that ‘ It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection.’ Its up to the people of America to realize the problem with two party system, and vote outside of the two major parties.