US Elections and Direct Democracy | AQA A-Level Politics (7152)
US Elections and Direct Democracy
- 136 questions
- 9 subtopics
- Paper 2: government and politics of the USA
- Paper 2
The electoral college and the road to a nomination, what money and incumbency do to a race, how Americans vote and why that has shifted, and direct democracy in the states..
It covers congressional Elections and Electoral College Votes, the Electoral College, the Invisible Primary, Primaries and Caucuses, super Tuesday, Momentum and Delegates, what Decides a US Election, campaign Finance Regulation, party Coalitions and Voting Behaviour, realignment, Dealignment, Split-Ticket Voting and Turnout and direct Democracy at State Level.
Sample questions from US Elections and Direct Democracy
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Congressional Elections and Electoral College Votes
How is a vacancy in the Senate filled?
Show the answer
The state governor calls a special election and, where the state legislature allows it, makes a temporary appointment until that election is held. -
The Electoral College
Explain how the electoral college can produce a president who lost the national popular vote.
Show the answer
Because votes are counted state by state on a winner-takes-all basis, a candidate can win many states by small margins while losing others heavily, as happened in 2000 and 2016. -
The Invisible Primary, Primaries and Caucuses
Why is turnout in caucuses so much lower than in primaries?
Show the answer
They demand attendance for several hours at a fixed time and a public declaration of support, which deters all but the most committed activists. -
Super Tuesday, Momentum and Delegates
Who are superdelegates?
Show the answer
Superdelegates are senior Democratic figures such as members of Congress, governors and party officials who attend the convention without being pledged to a candidate by voters. -
What Decides a US Election
Why is incumbency a weaker shield in the Senate than in the House?
Show the answer
Senators run statewide, so they cannot rely on a favourably drawn district and usually face better-known and better-funded challengers. -
Campaign Finance Regulation
What did the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 do?
Show the answer
It banned soft money donations to the national parties and restricted broadcast advertising naming a candidate in the weeks before an election. -
Party Coalitions and Voting Behaviour
Which groups form the core of the modern Democratic coalition?
Show the answer
Its core is made up of African American voters, most Hispanic and Asian American voters, religiously unaffiliated voters, younger voters, graduates and city dwellers. -
Realignment, Dealignment, Split-Ticket Voting and Turnout
Which midterm election is often described as a realignment, and why?
Show the answer
It is the 1994 midterms, when Republicans captured the House for the first time in forty years and completed their takeover of the formerly Democratic South.
The 9 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Congressional Elections and Electoral College Votes | Recall questions on how and when the House and Senate are elected, midterm elections, and how electoral college votes are allocated between the states and the District of Columbia. | 11 |
| The Electoral College | Recall questions on winner-takes-all, the two states that reject it, what happens without 270 votes and the meaning of a faithless elector. | 17 |
| The Invisible Primary, Primaries and Caucuses | Recall questions on what the invisible primary is and why it is often decisive, and on how a caucus differs from a primary. | 12 |
| Super Tuesday, Momentum and Delegates | Recall questions on Super Tuesday, why the first two states matter so much, what momentum means and how Democratic delegates are allocated. | 17 |
| What Decides a US Election | Recall questions on the main factors shaping an outcome, why money matters, whether the biggest spender wins and the advantage of incumbency. | 18 |
| Campaign Finance Regulation | Recall questions on hard and soft money, the Federal Election Campaign Act, Buckley v Valeo, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act and Citizens United, Super PACs and dark money, and the arguments over regulation. | 12 |
| Party Coalitions and Voting Behaviour | Recall questions on the strongest predictor of an American's vote, what a party coalition is, the New Deal coalition and the modern Democratic base. | 10 |
| Realignment, Dealignment, Split-Ticket Voting and Turnout | Recall questions on re-aligning elections from 1932 to 1994 and the end of the Solid South, dealignment and independents, split-ticket voting, and the reasons for low US turnout and the reforms proposed. | 20 |
| Direct Democracy at State Level | Recall questions on what direct democracy is, why it exists only in the states, and on initiatives direct and indirect. | 19 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Politics Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,215 questions with their answers.