Electoral College.

Electoral college. State representatives sent to cast vote for president on behalf of state EC votes allocated per congressional representation i.e. mainly proportional (but each had at least 2 to match rep in the senate) e.g. florida 27, california 55 total 538: 100 senate, 435 HoR, 3 washington dc = 270 to win presidency why? Founding fathers et up to protect voice of small sates e.g. wyoming only 3 ec reps leads to two horse race – likely over 50% pop vote = legitimacy winner takes all system i.e. all EC vote for a state to popular vote winner for that state (what problem can you see with this? Think about legitimacy) vice president announces result to congress in january. Problem in 2000 with gore v bush because gore had more popular vote, but bush beat him with electoral college votes. Maine system? Automatic plan, etc etc. exam style questions: does tv and the media enhance democracy or merely trivialise the issues in presidential elections? In recent decades, the media has become more influential in terms of airing the presidential process. − big media spend in elections; vast country, varied audience/diversity. − Style over substance. Links to money + finance − national conventions; stage managed (trivialised), less formal functions (because there are more primaries), flag/banner waving showing of support, media soundbites/images. Roll out party favourites e.g. ted kennedy, bill clinton (but heals party) − 'american way + apple pie' speeches. BUT decline in coverage.democratic overload? BUT: VP recognition + state views. − TV DEBATE. (we like.); town hall style/podium style/round table style > shows electorate policy views + how they react. BUT can trivialise e.g. reagan soundbites against Mondale e.g. Gore. − Viewing figures are declining for this. − POLITICAL COMMERCIALS. Positive campaigning; long info style ads e.g. Eisenhower 'man from aberline' – good because you learn policy. − Negative campaigning; e.g. Daisy girl, Willie Horton. Being negative, trivialising things for people.'read my lips, no new taxes' BUSH - Used against him. − Based on campaign finance e.g. obama, not democratic. Conversation with man + megaphone. − TV SHOWS. Trivialised. More focus generally on trivial tv shows, chat shows e.g. oprah, david letterman etc. 2000 election; bush spent 13 minutes on david letterman, three times the amount spent on other new shows. − Oprah backed obama, and she promoted obama's book as book of the week 2008. − media does a good job in providing exposure for candidates, op ed papers provide an opinion for citizens.

'America has the best democracy money can buy.' why are US elections increasingly expensive and what the effects on electoral and political processes? − big country. − Presidential process longer + more going on. − Tons of candidates − etc.