US Elections and Direct Democracy

What US Elections and Direct Democracy covers

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.

The 9 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Congressional Elections and Electoral College VotesRecall 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.Open →
• The Electoral CollegeRecall questions on winner-takes-all, the two states that reject it, what happens without 270 votes and the meaning of a faithless elector.Open →
• The Invisible Primary, Primaries and CaucusesRecall questions on what the invisible primary is and why it is often decisive, and on how a caucus differs from a primary.Open →
• Super Tuesday, Momentum and DelegatesRecall questions on Super Tuesday, why the first two states matter so much, what momentum means and how Democratic delegates are allocated.Open →
• What Decides a US ElectionRecall questions on the main factors shaping an outcome, why money matters, whether the biggest spender wins and the advantage of incumbency.Open →
• Campaign Finance RegulationRecall 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.Open →
• Party Coalitions and Voting BehaviourRecall questions on the strongest predictor of an American's vote, what a party coalition is, the New Deal coalition and the modern Democratic base.Open →
• Realignment, Dealignment, Split-Ticket Voting and TurnoutRecall 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.Open →
• Direct Democracy at State LevelRecall questions on what direct democracy is, why it exists only in the states, and on initiatives direct and indirect.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take US Elections and Direct Democracy further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Primary election vs General election

  Primary election: party voters choose a candidate. General election: voters choose between parties’ candidates.

• Paid media vs Earned media

  Paid media: campaign communication purchased by candidates. Earned media: unpaid coverage generated through newsworthiness.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   Which electoral system is used to elect members of the House of Representatives?

   Model answer

   First-past-the-post in single-member districts, so the candidate with most votes in each district wins the seat.

2. 2

   How often are House elections held, and how many seats are contested?

   Model answer

   Every two years, when all 435 seats are contested at once.

3. 3

   Explain how the staggered terms of the Senate work.

   Model answer

   Senators serve six-year terms and roughly one third of the 100 seats is contested every two years, so the chamber is never renewed all at once.

4. 4

   How is a vacancy in the Senate filled?

   Model answer

   The state governor calls a special election and, where the state legislature allows it, makes a temporary appointment until that election is held.

5. 5

   When are federal elections held in the USA?

   Model answer

   On the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, with presidential contests every four years and congressional contests every two.

6. 6

   What is a midterm election?

   Model answer

   A midterm election is a congressional election held halfway through a president's term, when the whole House and a third of the Senate are up for election.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

US Elections and Direct Democracy revision questions

What does US Elections and Direct Democracy cover in AQA A-Level Politics?

9 subtopics: 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. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is US Elections and Direct Democracy organised?

By the AQA 7152 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.