Unit 9
Political Parties, Elections and Interest Groups
Notes
Parties
- Parties nominate candidates, campaign, write platforms and organize government. Winner-take-all, single-member districts support a two-party system. Third parties raise issues or act as spoilers.
- Realignment is a lasting shift in party coalitions; dealignment is a drift toward independents.
Nominations
- Closed and open primaries, caucuses, delegates and the national convention.
Electoral College
- Electors = House seats + 2; D.C. has 3. 538 total, 270 to win. Winner-take-all in 48 states and D.C.; Maine and Nebraska split by district.
- If no majority, the House picks the president (one vote per state delegation).
Money
- FEC; Buckley v. Valeo (contribution limits allowed, spending limits not); BCRA (soft money); Citizens United (unlimited independent expenditures). PACs and Super PACs.
Voters
- Turnout is higher in presidential years and among older and more educated citizens. Party-line, retrospective, prospective voting and ticket splitting.
Interest groups
- Lobbying, litigation, amicus briefs, PACs, grassroots campaigns. Free rider problem, revolving door, iron triangles.
Topics in this unit
Each topic has its own short notes and practice.
Practice
The 23rd Amendment gives D.C. as many electors as the least populous state, which is 3.
48 states and D.C. use winner-take-all.
Groups often use the courts to influence policy.
Third parties rarely win but can be spoilers or idea generators.
Prospective voters look at what candidates promise for the future.
Super PACs grew after Citizens United and related rulings.
Free response
Write your answer first, then open the scoring guide.
Free-response question
In a presidential election, Candidate A wins the national popular vote, but Candidate B wins 275 electoral votes.
(a) Identify who wins the presidency and explain why.
Show the answer and scoring guide
Candidate B wins. The president is chosen by the Electoral College, not the national popular vote, and 275 is more than the 270 votes (a majority of 538) needed to win.
Check off the points you earned:
(b) Explain how the winner-take-all system makes this outcome possible.
Show the answer and scoring guide
In 48 states and D.C., the statewide winner gets all of that state's electors, even if the margin is very small. A candidate can win many states narrowly while the opponent wins other states by huge margins, so the opponent gets more popular votes but fewer electoral votes.
Check off the points you earned:
(c) Explain what would happen if no candidate won a majority of electoral votes.
Show the answer and scoring guide
Under the 12th Amendment, the House of Representatives would choose the president from the top three electoral vote winners, with each state delegation casting one vote; a majority of states (26) is needed. The Senate would choose the vice president.
Check off the points you earned: