Summary of Topic 5.8 Electing a President AP Government

Summary of "Electing a President - AP Government"

In this video, the speaker discusses the process of electing a president in the United States, focusing on the Primaries, the general election, and the Electoral College. The content is aligned with the AP Government curriculum as outlined by the College Board.

Main Ideas and Concepts:

• Incumbency Advantage:
  • Incumbents (current officeholders) have a higher likelihood of re-election due to:
  • Previous experience in winning a presidential campaign.
  • Established networks of volunteers, contributors, and staff.
  • Access to the "bully pulpit," allowing them to influence public discourse.
  • Greater public recognition and perception as presidential.
• Campaign Cycle:
  • The presidential campaign cycle lasts about two years, beginning after midterm elections.
  • Key phases include:
  • Invisible Primary: Preliminary activities like fundraising and polling before official announcements.
  • Primaries: Candidates compete to become their party's nominee.
  • National Convention: Official nomination of the party's candidate.
  • General Election: Final election where the president is elected.
• Primaries vs. Caucuses:
  • Primaries: Elections where registered voters choose a party's candidate.
    • Open Primaries: Any registered voter can participate regardless of party affiliation.
    • Closed Primaries: Voters must be registered with a specific party to vote in that party's primary.
  • Caucuses: Local gatherings where party members discuss and vote for candidates publicly.
• Electoral College:
  • The Electoral College is the mechanism through which the president is elected.
  • Total of 538 electoral votes; a candidate needs at least 270 to win.
  • Most states use a winner-take-all system, where the candidate with the most votes in a state receives all its electoral votes.
  • This system leads candidates to focus on swing states (e.g., Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania) rather than states with predictable outcomes.
• Debate on the Electoral College:
  • The effectiveness of the Electoral College is debated:
    • Facilitates Democracy: Ensures representation of diverse geographic areas, preventing candidates from focusing solely on populous urban centers.
    • Impedes Democracy: The winner-take-all feature can lead to scenarios where a candidate wins the presidency without winning the popular vote (e.g., Hillary Clinton in 2016, Al Gore in 2000).

Methodology/Instructions:

• Understand the phases of the presidential election process, including the significance of Primaries, Caucuses, and the Electoral College.
• Consider the implications of the Electoral College on democracy and be prepared to discuss both sides of the argument for essay questions.

Speakers/Sources Featured:

• The speaker is identified as Ben Allamani, who presents the content and encourages viewers to engage with the material by liking and subscribing to the channel.

Notable Quotes

— 07:54 — « Does the Electoral College facilitate or impede democracy? That would be a great frq question especially on an argumentative essay. »

— 08:10 — « The popular vote doesn't matter so you can win more votes overall and still lose the presidency. »

— 08:23 — « Some people would argue that it is undemocratic; at the same time, others would argue that it maintains a geographic balance. »

Category

Educational

Video