Us Elections

US ELECTIONS

Elections   

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"election" - comes from the Latin root meaning "to choose" the election process is accomplished by voting the people who are qualified to vote are called the electorate. They may vote on issues (tax measures, changes in law) as well as for candidates the winning candidate must win by a plurality or by a majority

Electoral Process in the US  the

national government establishes federal election requirements  the states generally adopt the same rules and practices to reduce costs and avoid the complexity of having two different systems

Selection of Candidates 

In the American political system, there are two major parties:  The

Republican Party  The Democratic Party  

each major party selects a candidate and supports him or her with money, advice, and publicity for judges and for many local government offices, candidates often run without any party identification (nonpartisan races)

Necessary Qualifications to Run for Office  

they need not belong to a political party to serve in the House of Representatives candidates must:  have

been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years  be a resident of the state (and usually the district) he or she will represent  be at least 25 years old 

for the US Senate: the candidate must also be a naturalborn US citizen

Types of Elections     

the general election (president, vice president, members of Congress) runoff elections special elections (to fill an office whose occupant has died, resigned, or been recalled) issues election (referendum) recall election (to decide whether an office holder should be removed from office)

Frequency of General Elections

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held in early November presidential elections are held every four years elections are held every two years

A bit of history Between 1789 and 2004:     

The Federalists won 3 times The Democrat-Republican won 6 times The Whigs won twice The Democrats won 20 times The Republicans won 23 times

2008 US Elections  General

information  The two major candidates  John

McCain  Barack Obama  Unfavorable opinions

 Who

will win?

General Information

The presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday, November 4  It will coincide with the 2008 Senate elections in thirty-three states, House of Representatives elections in all states, and gubernatorial elections in eleven states, as well as various state referendums and local elections  The allocation of electoral votes to each state will be based partially on the 2000 Census 

The two major candidates

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John McCain:  senator representing Arizona  he would be the oldest president of the US, if elected  he is known for championing legislation that reformed elections financing and lobbying laws  presidential candidate in 2000, but lost the nomination to George W. Bush

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Barack Obama:  first-term senator from Illinois  he would be the first African-American president of the United States, if elected  he introduced bipartisan legislation that allows Americans to learn online how their tax dollars are spent  worked as a community organizer and civil rights attorney in Chicago

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Unfavorable opinions three-quarters of voters who hold unfavorable views of McCain say his political beliefs are the reason they do not like him  most critics of McCain say the negative image they have of him reflects a personal dislike  critics of Obama are in small number, but their reasons are divided: 

• 9% cite personal reasons • Some say they dislike the Democratic candidate's political views • 16% say it is both personal and political

Who will win?

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According to recent polls, Obama is most likely to become President Main reasons: McCain is a hawk  McCain is too old  people say McCain is a “copy of Bush” 