Why is fundraising the key test at this stage?

A candidate who cannot raise money cannot staff the early states or buy advertising, and donors and the media treat weak fundraising as evidence of no chance.

What is name recognition, and why does it matter early?

The share of voters who know who a candidate is; without it a candidate registers no support in polls and struggles to attract coverage and money.

How do endorsements function during the invisible primary?

Endorsements from officeholders and organisations signal to donors and voters that a candidate is acceptable to the party, which draws further support.

What is meant by the party deciding?

The theory that endorsements and support from party insiders during the invisible primary largely determine who wins the nomination.

WJEC A-Level Government and Politics 603-1979-3

The British Constitution

Topic overview The nature of the constitution: uncodified, unitary and flexible Statute law as a source of the constitution Common law and works of constitutional authority Constitutional conventions Parliamentary sovereignty The rule of law Parliamentary government and constitutional monarchy Constitutional reform since 1997 The debate on a codified constitution The UK, the European Union and Brexit The UK, NATO and the United Nations

The Judiciary and the Supreme Court

Topic overview The constitutional role of the Supreme Court The Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and the creation of the Court The Supreme Court as the highest court of appeal The separation of powers in the UK Judicial independence Judicial neutrality and the appointment of judges Judicial review and the doctrine of ultra vires Supreme Court rulings on constitutional matters A separate legal jurisdiction for Wales

The UK Executive

Topic overview The core executive The roles of the Prime Minister The powers and resources of the Prime Minister The royal prerogative The composition of the Cabinet The roles and functions of the Cabinet Collective ministerial responsibility Individual ministerial responsibility Prime ministerial government and its limits The civil service

Parliament and the Accountability of Government

Topic overview The composition of the House of Commons The House of Lords: composition and powers The functions of Parliament The legislative process Private members' bills and delegated legislation Select committees Questions, debates and confidence in the government Backbench MPs and peers The role of the Opposition Parliamentary privilege Parliamentary sovereignty in practice Executive dominance and where power lies

Government and the Senedd in Wales

Topic overview The First Minister of Wales The Welsh Government and its Cabinet Collective and individual ministerial responsibility in Wales The powers and resources of the Welsh Government The origins and structure of the Senedd The composition and election of the Senedd The legislative competence of the Senedd The legislative process in the Senedd Plenary and the business of the Senedd Senedd committees Members of the Senedd and the Opposition Debates over the effectiveness of the Senedd

Devolution and the United Kingdom

Topic overview The nature and forms of devolution The origins of devolution in the UK The Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government The Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive Devolution in England Asymmetry in the devolution settlement The West Lothian question and English votes for English laws Funding devolution and the Barnett formula Devolution, sovereignty and the union Debates over the future of the union

Citizenship and Rights

Topic overview The meaning of citizenship Global citizenship Freedom, equality and active citizenship The rule of law and protection under the law The rights of minorities Positive discrimination and positive action The sources of rights in the UK Equality legislation on race and gender Freedom of expression, association and religion Privacy, liberty and the right to a fair trial Conflicts between rights Debates over a British Bill of Rights

The Protection of Human Rights

Topic overview The courts and the protection of rights Judicial review: grounds and remedies Judicial review in practice The Universal Declaration of Human Rights The European Convention on Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights The Human Rights Act 1998 The Human Rights Act in the courts Enforcing equality law Ombudsmen and commissioners Pressure and campaigning for rights Debates over the protection of rights in the UK

Democracy and Participation

Topic overview Direct democracy Representative democracy Comparing direct and representative democracy Turnout in Wales and the UK Apathy, abstention and the participation crisis Legitimacy and the mandate Pluralism and elitism Who participates and why Widening participation and franchise reform

Electoral Systems in the UK

Topic overview The functions of elections and the language of electoral systems First Past the Post: how it works First Past the Post: advantages and criticisms The Additional Member System and Senedd elections The Single Transferable Vote Party list systems The supplementary vote and the alternative vote Proportionality, fairness and effects on party systems Coalition and minority government Key elections in Wales Referendums in Wales and the UK

Voting Behaviour in the UK

Topic overview The sociological model and social class Party identification and partisan dealignment The rational choice model The valence model and governing competence Age, gender, ethnicity and education Region, nation and voting in Wales Election campaigns and party leaders The media and voting behaviour Turnout, tactical voting and volatility

Political Parties in Wales and the UK

Topic overview The functions of political parties The Labour Party: origins and ideology The Conservative Party: origins and ideology The Liberal Democrats and the centre ground Plaid Cymru and the Welsh party system Smaller and minor parties Party organisation and the role of members Leadership selection in the main parties Candidate selection and representation Manifestos, platforms and the mandate Party funding, cash for influence and reform

Pressure Groups and Social Movements

Topic overview Pressure groups and how they differ from parties Sectional and promotional groups Insider and outsider groups Access points in Wales and the UK Lobbying and direct contact with decision-makers Direct action and public campaigning Using the media and new technologies Factors in pressure group success Pressure groups and the health of democracy Social movements: nature, membership and methods The women's movement and the environmental movement

Liberalism

Topic overview Origins of liberal ideas Human nature, reason and progress Individualism, liberty and natural rights Toleration, pluralism and justice The social contract and the liberal state Constitutionalism, the rule of law and liberal democracy Negative and positive freedom Classical liberalism and laissez-faire economics Modern liberalism and the enabling state The New Right and libertarian views of the market Equality of opportunity and equality of outcome Liberalism and Welsh political parties and movements Liberal ideas in global politics

Conservatism

Topic overview Origins of conservative ideas Human imperfection, pragmatism and tradition Organic society, hierarchy and natural inequality Authority, order and property Traditional and one-nation conservatism Authoritarian conservatism Moral conservatism, the family and the church The New Right: neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism Conservative debates on immigration and integration Conservative debates on minority rights and welfare Economic conservatism, the market and state intervention Conservatism and Welsh political parties and movements Conservative ideas in global politics

Socialism and Communism

Topic overview Origins of socialist ideas Human nature, community and cooperation Class, class conflict and the proletariat Equality and social justice Marxism and historical materialism Communism in theory and in practice Revolutionary and parliamentary roads to socialism Social democracy, revisionism and the Third Way Democratic socialism and ethical socialism Socialist views of capitalism Public ownership and the means of production Collectivism and the redistribution of wealth Socialism and the Welsh labour movement Socialist ideas in global politics

Nationalism

Topic overview Origins of nationalist ideas Defining the nation and the nation state National consciousness and the role of history Language, culture and national symbols National sovereignty and self-determination Civic nationalism Ethno-cultural nationalism Liberal nationalism Conservative nationalism Chauvinism, xenophobia and expansionist nationalism Political nationalism, citizenship and the state Separatism, secession and anti-colonial nationalism Nationalism and Welsh political parties and movements Nationalist ideas in global politics

The US Constitution and Federalism

Topic overview The Declaration of Independence and the founding principles Writing the Constitution and its compromises Separation of powers and checks and balances The amendment process Enumerated, implied and reserved powers Theories of federalism The changing balance of federal and state power Fiscal federalism and federal grants Federalism before the Supreme Court Debates about the Constitution

Rights and Liberties in the USA

Topic overview The Bill of Rights: origins and importance The First Amendment: speech, press and assembly The First Amendment: religion The Second Amendment and gun ownership Rights of the accused and due process The death penalty and the Eighth Amendment Privacy and the Constitution The Fourteenth Amendment and incorporation Civil rights and the struggle for racial equality Affirmative action and contemporary equality debates

The US Congress

Topic overview The constitutional basis of Congress The House of Representatives The Senate Congressional leadership The committee system How a bill becomes law The filibuster and Senate procedure Parties, partisanship and gridlock Congress and the executive Representation and the member's role

The US Presidency

Topic overview The constitutional office of President The powers of the President The President as chief executive The President and legislation The President, foreign policy and the armed forces Executive orders and unilateral action The Cabinet The Executive Office of the President Constraints on presidential power The imperial presidency debate

The US Supreme Court

Topic overview The constitutional role of the Supreme Court Judicial review and Marbury v Madison Jurisdiction and how a case reaches the Court Nomination and appointment of justices Tenure and proposals for reform Judicial activism and judicial restraint Originalism and the living Constitution Precedent and legal reasoning The Court and the protection of rights The political significance of the Court and its composition

US Elections and Voting Behaviour

Topic overview The invisible primary Primaries and caucuses The national nominating conventions The ticket and the general election campaign The electoral college Congressional and midterm elections Money in US elections PACs, super-PACs and campaign finance law The media and social media in campaigns Long-term determinants of voting behaviour Short-term factors, swing states and independents

Political Parties in the USA

Topic overview The American political spectrum The Democratic party The Republican party Factions in the Republican party Factions in the Democratic party Party organisation and candidate-centred campaigns Why two parties dominate Third parties and independent candidates Realignment, decline and polarisation

US Elections and Voting Behaviour

11 subtopics
33 things to know
A2 Unit 4

What US Elections and Voting Behaviour covers

US Elections and Voting Behaviour is examined in A2 Unit 4, Government and politics of the USA — participation and democracy. It covers the invisible primary, primaries and caucuses, the national nominating conventions, the ticket and the general election campaign, the electoral college, congressional and midterm elections, money in US elections, PACs, super-PACs and campaign finance law, the media and social media in campaigns, long-term determinants of voting behaviour and short-term factors, swing states and independents.

Where it is assessed

A2 Unit 4

Government and politics of the USA.

Check the WJEC specification ↗

The 11 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

Explain what a candidate must build before any votes are cast.

Key term

Set out how the electoral college is composed and how states allocate their electors.

Key term

What is a presidential primary?

Key term

What is a national nominating convention?

Key term

What is meant by the presidential ticket?

Key term

What is a midterm election?

Key term

Why are American elections so expensive?

Key term

What is a Political Action Committee?

Key term

Distinguish paid media from earned media.

Key term

What is party identification?

Key term

Name three short-term influences on how people vote.

Key term

What is the invisible primary?

Key term

Give two differences between a primary and a caucus.

Key term

What is a party platform?

Key term

Who chooses the vice-presidential nominee in practice?

Key term

What is the electoral college?

Key term

Which offices are contested at a midterm?

Key term

Name four things campaign money is spent on.

Key term

What is a super-PAC?

Key term

What is a negative advertisement, and why are they used?

Key term

Why is party identification the strongest single predictor of the vote?

Key term

Why is the economy so strong an influence on presidential elections?

Key term

Name four activities that make up the invisible primary.

Key term

What is a closed primary?

Key term

Why are modern conventions described as coronations rather than contests?

Key term

Give one reason a running mate might be chosen for governing rather than campaigning.

Key term

Why does the District of Columbia have electors?

Key term

Give two explanations for midterm losses.

Key term

What is a hard money contribution?

Key term

State the key difference between a PAC and a super-PAC.

Key term

What is agenda setting by the media?

Key term

What is partisan dealignment?

Evaluation

What is the incumbency advantage in presidential elections?

Take US Elections and Voting Behaviour further

The same content, four other ways.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is the invisible primary?
Model answer
The period before any votes are cast in which candidates build support, raise money and establish themselves as credible contenders.
2
Name four activities that make up the invisible primary.
Model answer
Fundraising, securing endorsements, building organisation in early states, and appearing in polls and televised debates.
3
Why is fundraising the key test at this stage?
Model answer
A candidate who cannot raise money cannot staff the early states or buy advertising, and donors and the media treat weak fundraising as evidence of no chance.
4
What is name recognition, and why does it matter early?
Model answer
The share of voters who know who a candidate is; without it a candidate registers no support in polls and struggles to attract coverage and money.
5
How do endorsements function during the invisible primary?
Model answer
Endorsements from officeholders and organisations signal to donors and voters that a candidate is acceptable to the party, which draws further support.
6
What is meant by the party deciding?
Model answer
The theory that endorsements and support from party insiders during the invisible primary largely determine who wins the nomination.

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The British Constitution

The Judiciary and the Supreme Court

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Parliament and the Accountability of Government

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AAccess is bought rather than earned.

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US Elections and Voting Behaviour revision questions

What does US Elections and Voting Behaviour cover in WJEC A-Level Government and Politics?: 11 subtopics: the invisible primary, primaries and caucuses, the national nominating conventions, the ticket and the general election campaign, the electoral college, congressional and midterm elections, money in us elections, pacs, super-pacs and campaign finance law, the media and social media in campaigns, long-term determinants of voting behaviour and short-term factors, swing states and independents. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
How is US Elections and Voting Behaviour organised?: By the WJEC 603-1979-3 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.

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