How Democratic Is the Presidential Election Process?

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• Essay about Revision of Presidential Election Process

  ... Dr. Light English 102 12 October 2013 Revision of Presidential Election Process Being elected president is one of the greatest achievements of any president’s life. It is a lengthy process that supposedly calls on the citizens of America to cast their opinions through so called “votes”. However, the current system of the presidential election process allocates a certain number of electoral votes that is equal to the sum of U. S. Representatives and Senators for that state. Although not a state, the District of Columbia has three electoral votes. If a president wins the popular vote in that state, he or she “wins” the electoral votes of that state in a winner takes all type of manner. The electoral votes create winners and losers, takes the focus away from the message to the people from the president hopeful, creates battleground or “swing states”, is very costly to a campaign and the American people, and it is not a direct voice of the people. The procedure for electing a president is spelled out in Article II of the United States Constitution. Each state is entitled to a number of electors equal to that state's representation in Congress: Senate + House (US Const. art. II). Since each state has two senators and at least one representative, every state has at least three electors. The electors meet in their respective state capitals in December of each...

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• Presidential Election 2000 Essay

  ...The 2000 Presidential Election was one of the most suspenseful and unclear presidential elections for more than a century. For weeks after November 7, it had been uncertain to America who had won the presidency. The election's closeness and bitter words between parties over the results will leave controversy for years to come. When the elections began, the Republicans and Democrats chose their candidates. Caucuses were held in each state to choose delegates. It had begun like any other election, and there was a lot of competition in the primaries. There were six Republicans running for party nominations. As the son of former president George Bush, George Bush Jr. had more money than any other candidate for campaigning. On the other hand, Al Gore had a good reputation, serving two terms as vice president under the Clinton administration. From July 31st to August 3rd, the Republican National Convention was held in Philadelphia. The Republican Party nominated Bush, he chose Dick Cheney for vice president. Under Bush's father's administration, Cheney had been secretary of defense. The Republican's platform had been made to appeal to conservatives, with set positions on taxes, defense, education, and health care. From August 14th through 17th, the Democratic National Convention was held in Los Angeles, California. Al Gore was nominated the...

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• Democratic values in 2012 Presidential election Essay

  ...“Discuss the key foreign and domestic issues from the 2012 Presidential campaign. Evaluate to what extent each party’s policies were consistent with democratic values.” The 57th quadrennial United States Presidential Election was held on the 6th of November 2012, with a fight out between the incumbent, President Barack Obama for the Democratic Party, and Mitt Romney as the Republican candidate. The election saw two candidates with largely different approaches to key foreign and domestic issues. The centre point of the Presidential Election was the economy. The Democrat’s Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which was a stimulus package worth $768 (USD) billion that included tax cuts, investment in education, infrastructure, energy research, health and other programmes that would benefit the economy. Obama also bailed out the US auto industry and signed trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. However the Republican’s Romney planned to centre on tax cuts, repeal of Obama’s 2010 healthcare reform law and the repeal of 2012 Wall Street and banking regulations. Romney argued that reduction in regulation would stifle economic growth. In response to Obama’s actions and Romney opposed the auto industry bailout and proposed to reduce federal spending significantly. Issues such as the auto industry bailout is a reflection of...

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• Presidential Election Essay

  ...Presidential Election Essay 2012 Kristen Joles (final draft) “There is no quit in America.” says Obama. He says he is going to attack Romney during this election. The president, whom has been in office for the past four years, wants to stay in the White House for another term with his so called “changes” in the economy. Romney believes he is a leader who leads, not follows. He believes his “Five Point Plan” policies will lift the economy just as former president Reagan’s did. He hopes to win the election against President Obama to make America a better place to live. Being the 44th president of the United States, it’s come with struggles, and extreme experience and education. Democrat Barack Obama was born of August 9, 1961 in his home land of Honolulu, Hawaii. He is the son of Barack Obama Sr. from Kenya, and Ann Dunham, former resident of Kansas. He once said as a child, “My father looked nothing like the people around me – that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk – barely registered in my mind”, which made him have no racial criticism. He was a former drug user as a teenager which he regrets severely. Following high school at Panahou School, he studied at Occidental College for two years and the Columbia University where he majored in political science and experience in international relations. Obama previously worked as a community organizer, director of DCP, and continued to Harvard...

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• Presidential Election Essay

  ... Electing the President - a guide to the Election Process http://www.lwv.org/files/2012ElectingThePresident_1.pdf 1 a) For how long does the process of the US election last? It begins immediately after the preceding election and doesn’t end until the voters have their say b) When does it start? At noon on the 20th of January following a presidential election. c)When does it end? In November on the election-day. 2) What is meant by an ”absentee ballot?” It is a “vote by mail” program for those who are away from home and wants to vote. 3) How does the result of the elections affect people’s life? Give 4 examples from the text. Your job, your taxes, your health care, your Social Security. 4) Who are allowed to vote? You must be: 1) A citizen of the United States. 2) A resident of the state and 18 years old by the general election. 5) What does the nineteenth amendment tell us? Use your own words when explaining. The nineteenth amendment tells us the citizens voting rights. It reads as follows: The right of citizens of the United States to vote should not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. 6) What percentage of the Americans did not vote in the the last...

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• The Religiosity of Presidential Elections Essay

  ...The Religiosity of Presidential Elections In early 2012, the political tumult over providing contraception to employees of religiously affiliated institutions reminds us again of the symbiotic relationship between American government and religion. The debate has taken on greater significance in light of the most recent presidential election last November. The buildup to that election brought an increased level of political religiosity beyond just this issue. The primary process was filled with potential Republican candidates’ attempts to appeal to religiously inclined voters. President Obama, too, made an effort to solidify his image as a faith-based leader as the campaigning process began to heat up. This is no new phenomenon, as the United States has a long-standing tradition of religious and political interplay dating back to the nation’s inception. Specifically, in his 1789 Inaugural address, George Washington declared, “it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe.”1 His acknowledgment of a higher power marked the beginning of the trend of religiously grounded presidential politics that continues to thrive today. The recent 2012 presidential campaign process was notably and especially religiously charged. Republican hopefuls...

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• Essay on Agenda Setting and the Presidential Election

  ...Charlotte Felchak COM-126 August 16, 2012 Professor Tammany Agenda-Setting and the Presidential Election The presidential election of 2008 was a historic one for many reasons. This was a year of political turmoil and a true reflection of a country in economic crisis. The media played a significant role by influencing the American voters which decided the outcome of the election. For the Democratic Party, Barack Obama and Joe Biden won the primary election. John McCain and Sarah Palin won the Republican primary election. Many issues were highlighted by the media in this historic election. John McCain was the senior United States senator from Arizona since 1987 and beat out fellow Republican, Mitt Romney for the presidential nominee. His running mate was the controversial governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin. One of the most memorable ploy’s in the republican campaign was “Joe the Plumber”. Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher is an American conservative activist, commentator and politician. During a videotaped campaign stop in Ohio, hosted by Barack Obama, Wurzelbacher questioned Obama about his small business tax policy. Obama replied with this quote, “When you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.” John McCain and the Republican Party along with the media used this quote to convince voters that Obama was interested in...

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• Public Participation in the Presidential Nomination Process Essay

  ...participation in the presidential nomination process advance or hinder democracy? Widespread public participation in the presidential nomination process has only become a common process since the 1970s, following the recommendations of the McGovern-Fraser commission for the Democratic Party, which the Republican Party effectively adopted as well. These led to the use of primaries by most states, and caucuses in a minority. In a general sense, public participation in the presidential nomination process hinders democracy more than aids to advance it. This is due to problems with primaries and caucuses, the fact that money can play a pivotal role, media influence and exploitation. Although, some positives for democracy include it replaced a largely covert process and a wider range of candidates are now able to take part. Firstly, one benefit to democracy that public participation in the presidential nomination process gives is that a wider range of candidates are able to take part, including those not part of the Washington establishment. For example, in 1968 there were just five presidential candidates to choose from, three Democrats and two Republicans. In 2008, there were 15 candidates, eight Democrats and seven Republicans. Furthermore, evidence that the process has opened up to...

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