Election Essays (Examples)

Election The Coming Presidential Elections in the

Election:

The coming presidential elections in the United States will be conducted on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 and will be America's 57th quadrennial presidential election. As the election approaches, various initiatives and measures have been taken to educate and empower America's voting public and create an increasingly responsible government. These efforts have primarily involved the provision of comprehensive, non-partisan information that relate to presidential candidates, news, issues, and political parties. These initiatives are mainly geared towards providing a platform for voters and non-voters to regularly obtain useful, straightforward, and impartial information linked to politics and issues. However, the major issue revolving around these elections is how the election results will be determined by current and previous decisions of the court. This is mainly because of the increased expectation that the coming presidential election may be a close election.

Presidential Election Laws:

The United States presidential elections are guided by constitutional provisions that govern the election process. According to Article II of the Constitution, the Congress may establish the time of choosing the electors and the day of voting throughout the country ("Presidential Election Laws," n.d.). On the day of voting, voters or electors meet in their respective states and vote…… [Read More]

Election of 1992

presidential election of 1992 was a tight race, compared to others in history. The struggle between the Clinton camp, which focused on a platform involving the economy, the Bush camp, who focused on a platform whose basis was trust and taxes, and the Perot camp, who relied on a business-style economic platform, all combined to form one of the most interesting and changing races in recent years. This paper will discuss how Clinton used his economic platform to win a difficult election, and how the Bush campaign's overconfidence and faulty pre-election strategy helped Clinton to win what some believed was an unwinnable race for the Democratic Party.

It is important to first understand the incumbent's reliance on his popularity in the era of a victory in Iraq, and in the post-cold war atmosphere. In 1992, the American population found themselves in a changed world, where the Berlin Wall and intercontinental missiles no longer existed. The Soviet Union was no longer united, Germany had become united, and the threat of nuclear conflict, so long a staple of the American psyche, had disappeared. Bush had recently completed a successful military attack in Iraq, showing the power and force of the American military.…… [Read More]

Election of Lee Myung Bak as President

election of Lee Myung Bak as president of South Korea echoes a new era of hope for the survival of democracy in that often troubled country. Lee, a member of the conservative Grand National Party (GNP) easily defeated his opponent Chung Dong Young who is a member of the progressive party that had been in power in South Korea since the late 1990's. The size of Lee's victory in the popular vote was significant in itself but the fact that his party and other conservative parties were able to easily dominate the National Assembly elections as well affords Lee the opportunity to push through his party's agenda on the national stage.

What impact Lee may have on the continued development of democracy in South Korea remains to be seen but, in a nation where democratic principles have not always been well supported, the country's movement back to the right is highly significant. The movement is significant because it marks a smooth transition from one political ideology to another without violence or disruption in governmental services. Such a transition is essential for the perpetuation of a democracy and, with a radical transition from a progressive to a conservative platform, South Korea's…… [Read More]

Election of 1912

election of 1912, Theodore Roosevelt, supported by his own Progressive Party, advocated ideas based around Progressive reform. He called for a "pure democracy," or a government free of influence by special interests. He emphasized that government officials derived their authority from the people. He espoused that the people had the right to recall judicial decisions. He also believed that the people should have the right to amend the constitution, in order to make it more appropriate and applicable to current times.

Woodrow Wilson, with the backing of the Democratic Party, advocated the use of schools as centers for public forums. More generally, he emphasized the need for public centers and forums to spark discussion, debate, and an active participation in democracy. He and his party called for antitrust measures and regulations, as well as an overall expansion of the national government's responsibilities while finding "non-bureaucratic and non-centralized ways to treat the nation's economic ills." Finally, they advocated law directed at curbing big business.

William Howard Taft, backed by the Republican Party, was the most,…… [Read More]

2012 United States Presidential Election

Election

The results of nearly every American presidential election in the past century have reverberated around the world. The same is true for this election, the 2012 presidential race between President Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, and a handful of under-represented third party candidates. This paper outlines some of the core issues that were on the table this election cycle. These are the main issues that the two candidates focused on, and which the American people tended also to be discussing in public forums or in polling. Although Americans are concerned with a number of issues this election cycle, a few of them rose to the surface and directed the tenor of the campaign. The economy was by far the important issue, or at least the issue that was most covered in the media. The second most important issue being discussed in the campaign was foreign policy and future military strategies. The third issue that became relevant in this political campaign was immigration, although the two candidates did not speak much about immigration in their respective debates.

After a discussion of these core campaign issues, I will discuss my personal position on each of these political issues. The following section will…… [Read More]

American Presidential Election Process

Characteristically, each voter is given the alternative of casting votes separately in each tier, which in this study we refer to as nominal vote and the list vote. On the other hand, there are instances wherein the voter gives only a nominal vote. In such instances allotment of assembly-seats in the list-tier is founded on a combined-total of nominal-votes on party-basis (Cain, 1987).

The Nominal Tier

Typically the nominal tier comprises of single-seat districts. In single-seat districts the allotment model is normally "plurality," although in some Nominal Tier systems there is a "runoff," needed in any district wherein there is no majority in the first-round. One can count countries like Albania, Georgia, Hungary, and Lithuania as states where there is a runoff. Similarly, there have been mixed-systems with multiple-seat nominal-tier districts, which include South Korea during the 1987 election and some districts in Venezuela during the 1998 election. The main point here is that for an electoral system to meet the criteria as mixed system, there has got to be a tier wherein nominal votes is the only method with which politicians win seats in this tier (Dunleavy and Margetts, 1999).

Nominal models are normally majoritarian; however, it is not…… [Read More]

Propose Election Changes for Kansas University Senate

The suggestions goes towards extending these active table campaigning during the last 3 days of the passive table campaigning to ensure a fair and better visibility to candidates and offer individual promotion and distribution of campaign flyers.

Another proposal goes towards the costs of the electoral campaign that each candidate has. There can be cases when funding does not come from sources of trust and therefore such a measure would ensure transparency of the entire process. Change is critically important to any system and usually is accepted and put into practice after long negotiations. An electoral system's change, of any sort, "has a great effect on the type of the system which results, its appropriateness for the political situation, and the degree of legitimacy and popular support it will ultimately enjoy." (Reynolds, 2005,-page 5). Therefore, any change to this electoral process must not only be put into practice by the Governing Body but should also receive support from the community, in this case the students.

Regarding the composition of the Students Senate, this is composed at this moment of a Student Body President, a Vice President, 57 representatives of each school of the University and other representatives from various groups,…… [Read More]

Primary Factors Contributing to Obama's Victory in 2012 Presidential Election

2012 Election

Primary Factors Contributing to Obama's Victory in 2012 Presidential Election

For some, the outcome of the 2012 U.S. presidential election was a foregone conclusion; incumbent presidents rarely lose their second election, and the challenger did not provide enough of a contrast to warrant a change in leadership at this point in history. For others, it came as a sudden surprise, an unexpected upheaval that challenged the very premise of their worldview. In either case, the theories about how Barack Obama secured a second term abounded even before the vote counting was officially over, and there is no shortage of opinions of the subject. While it is difficult if not impossible to attribute the outcome to any single factor, a close analysis can at least provide some insight into which factors played the biggest part. Performing this analysis reveals that a combination of concerted get-out-the-vote efforts, a mutable, inconsistent opponent, and substantial demographic shifts are the primary factors that allowed President Obama to overcome a weak economy and lower-than-ideal approval ratings in order to secure a second term. The question of which factors contributed to Obama's victory is not merely idle speculation or a topic reserved for wonks and…… [Read More]

U S Presidential Election of When Considering the

U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF

When considering the context of American history, 2012 was a year that saw many important anniversaries. One of these was the 100th anniversary of the critical U.S. Presidential Election of 1912. Some of the important players in this election were Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, Woodrow Wilson, and socialist Eugene Debs. This election was historic for a number of reasons, some of which the paper will expound upon. The paper will consider some of the factors that made this election significant and noteworthy, as well as consider if there are any remnants of the election present within American politics, government, and culture in the 21st century.

The election of 1912 was a great contest for the 32nd presidency of the United States of America. World War I would be on the minds of many and international policy definitely played a role in the journey of each candidate for the position. Roosevelt did not receive the nomination of the Republican party as he had hoped; therefore, he broke off, created his own party, called the Progressive Party and was that party's candidate. Taft, from Ohio got the nomination from the Republicans. The split into two parties was the…… [Read More]

Texas Open Election System Texas

This provision allowed voter registrars reject the applications where voters did not check the box or checked it mistakenly. 40,000 out of 70,000 rejected applications were results of Bohac's HB1268 provision.

The corruption certainly goes beyond these problems. According to a report by Texas Observer, numerous Texas officials elected to public positions use campaign money in violation of campaign regulations and advocate the interests of various interest groups in exchange for monetary and other material support. For instance, Troy Fraser has served in Texas Senate for fourteen years and has won two elections unopposed. His worst showing of the last decade was in 2008 which he won with 85% of the vote. He has amassed a whopping $1.3 million in campaign funds and of that 97% came out of special interest contributions. The Observer writes:

You might wonder what Fraser, with no competitive election in sight, is doing with all this campaign money.

He's living off it. Fraser, like all Texas legislators, is allowed to use campaign money to augment his lifestyle: to rent a condo, take his family on opulent trips and stay in exclusive hotels and resorts. Since he was elected in 2008, Fraser has spent more than…… [Read More]

1932 U S Election Elections of

1932 campaign is considered different with respect to communication. Breaking the tradition of republican to restrict themselves to front porches Hoover went out and traveled far and wide to deliver speeches. This pattern of traveling to all places is still followed today by the presidential candidates. Public speeches became the hallmark of the 1932 campaigns for both democratic and republican candidates. Both Roosevelt and Hoover delivered speeches in public setting the standards for direct public involvement.

Another development that really affected the election campaign was the extensive use of radio. The use of radio became widespread in America by 30s. In previous campaigns the involvement of media such as radio was minimal. Use of radio by the candidates in 1932 elections can also be considered a starting point for the importance of electronic media in the U.S. election campaigns. Previously in cases of front-porch campaigns candidates delivered the same speech with slight variations to suit the delegate they were addressing. Now with the use of mass media such as radio their words and speeches were being monitored by the whole nation.

The importance of rhetoric became more evident in 1932 elections than ever before. Hoover was a presidential candidate with…… [Read More]

Obama and Election History Was

In the course of his campaign, Obama inspired millions of Americans - young and old, rich and poor, rural and urban, and from every racial and ethnic background. When Obama walked into the room. . The crowd was transfixed (Tufankjuan, 2008). The goal, of course, is that in politics, as well as society, race plays no part in the decision process. Thanks to previous Civil Rights advocates, and people like Jesse Jackson, Obama was not the first minority to attempt a high political seat. This is even more important when one realizes the election was not won on race, but on a combination of issues appropriate focus on sections of the electorate in which his message resonated (Metzler, 2008).

Political Advertising and Propaganda: Political advertising and social rhetoric are certainly not new to the arena of campaigns. Politicians in Ancient Greece and Rome used pamphlets, orations, and their own brand of social networks to decry their opponents. In fact, the 20th century is far more civil in terms of rhetoric that many presidential elections of the past.

However, the goal of political advertising is, of course, to persuade, and in the modern era how to quickly get the salient information…… [Read More]

Presidential Election Comparison of Candidates

A primary is another system of electing delegates with a mandate to vote for a given candidate. Unlike caucuses, primaries are votes conducted by the government on behalf of the political party. This vote can be open, closed, semi-closed or semi-open. Open primaries allow citizens to vote in both parties' primaries; semi-closed only the primary for the party you belong to (independents may vote in these as well) and in closed primaries only registered members of a party may vote in that primary.

The specific rules for the conduct of caucuses and primaries will vary from state to state and between the different parties as well. Washington State has both a primary and a caucus. This adds to the complexity of the system, but provides each state with the opportunity to create a system that works best for their needs.

A presidential caucus is a caucus specifically designed for the selection of a given state's choice of a presidential candidate. In this scenario, the members of a party for the state hold a set of caucuses, which ultimately culminate in the nomination of delegates. For most states, those delegates are sent to the national convention with a mandate to vote…… [Read More]

Agenda-Setting and the Presidential Election The Agenda-Setting

Agenda-Setting and the Presidential Election:

The agenda-setting function of mass media has largely been influenced by concerns regarding news coverage and the public's view about the significance of the stories covered by mass media. Consequently, some theorists have stated that news editors and anchors have a relatively significant impact on determining the public's views of social reality. While there were concerns on the ability of a particular story covered by news media to affect the public's attitudes and opinions, mass media has a huge influence on people's thinking and perception. This is because mass media influence the amount of thinking that people engage in regarding a particular story, which can lead to an increase on the relative importance of that specific issue (DeFleur & Ball-Rokeach, p. 264).

One of the major influences that the agenda-setting function of mass media has had on shaping public perceptions is presidential elections. Based on the findings of a research, there is a vital correlation between media coverage and the public's opinion regarding the importance of a political issue. This has resulted in the development of the concept political advertising in the recent past, particularly on negative political advertising that has increased in the past…… [Read More]

Why Was Andrew Jackson's Election to the Presidency Considered Such an Important Event

Andrew Jackson and the Election of 1828

The presidential election of 1828 sparked a turning point in the American political system. With the inauguration of General Andrew Jackson in 1829 and the atmosphere of victory within the populace, it was clear then that Jackson was truly the American "People's President." A war hero, a statesman, a "man of action," it becomes no surprise that the citizens of the United States supported him so. Yet it was not just his popularity that marked the election of 1828 as an important historical event. In fact, not only did he defy the general "image" of U.S. presidency, he was also part of the beginnings of the modern-day two-party platforms.

The tense, wary, and politically hostile atmosphere of the election of 1828 was believed to be a result of the corruption of the election in 1824. Jackson, a soldier-turned-statesman, had run against political rivals John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and William H. Crawford (Badertscher). While Jackson pulled the majority of the popular -- and thus a large portion of the electoral -- votes, he had not gained the majority of the electoral votes needed to win the presidency. The presidential elections were then appealed…… [Read More]

Politics Gubernatorial Election This Country's

3% in July of this year. The Republican Governors Association is paying for ads that are stating that 400,000 jobs were lost during Strickland's tenure. The truth is that the state started losing jobs in 2000, during the seven years when Republicans held the governor's office along with both houses of the legislature, but at a considerably lesser rate. Ohio has had more than 568,300 jobs since 2000 vanish, consisting of 403,800 in the manufacturing segment. This is a key matter in front of both Republican and Democratic incumbents in this mid year campaign cycle. The usual answer is to blame worldwide issues beyond their control, but it's particularly sensitive in Ohio (The most important governor's race? Why top politicians are flocking to Ohio, 2010).

Strickland's major issue has been the economy and the job loss across the state, a lot of which moved to other states. Ohio's financial system was battered by the recession early on and while Democrats maintain signals of improvement, the financial troubles seem ongoing. As governor, Strickland has slashed both personal income taxes and business taxes, making Ohio one of only two states that don't have a general tax on corporate profits or personal property…… [Read More]

Political Science Jesse Ventura's Election

Third parties face a number of troubles which frequently make their candidates terms short lived. The most apparent reason that third parties have trouble surviving is that most voters are faithful to their traditional party. Voters typically identify with a certain political party, often inheriting their particular association from their parents. There are other great roadblocks third parties faces on the path to becoming a typical fixture in politics such as ballot access, campaign finance and the Electoral College system.

There are also many laws which hold back third parties from being triumphant (Tabor, n.d.).

Politics in this country have been for years based on popularity and not necessarily the issues at all. Jessie Ventura pulled off an upset in the 1998 gubernatorial race in Minnesota because he was popular. He had tremendous name recognition based on his past endeavors and the public was tired of the two major political parties. The function of the current political parties is to bring people together to attain control of the government, growing policies favorable to their interests or the groups that support them, and put in order and influence voters to elect their candidates to office (the Functions of Political Parties, 2011).…… [Read More]

Competing Characters in Election the

Because Tammy has no real interest in winning the presidency, she does not campaign in the traditional sense but instead gives a rousing speech about the pointlessness of the election, winning herself support but precipitating her own expulsion from the race.

Jim thinks that others will suffer because of Tracy because he is one of the few characters in the film to fully understand the extent of Tracy's character. Part of Tracy's skill lies in her ability to appear innocent, but Jim understands how easily she manipulates people to get what she wants, and so he is afraid of giving her any more power. On a more personal level, Tracy has already helped get Jim's fellow teacher fired by the beginning of the film, so Jim has immediate experience with the collateral damage caused by Tracy's machinations. Furthermore, Jim struggles with the idea that someone as manipulative and cold-hearted as Tracy can be so successful, and so he hopes to knock her down a peg or two as a means of tempering her personality. Jim seems to have a grudging respect for Tracy, but believes that if elected she would cause undue harm to people.

Tracy thinks she deserves victory…… [Read More]

Current 2012 Political Campaign Funds of Presidential Election

2012 Political Campaign Funds of Presidential Election

Various reasons contribute to the usage of money by politicians during the campaign period. Some of them include conflict of interest whereby the politicians use their power to lure the public in supporting them. However, the American government has various set regulations of which the politicians are supposed to follow when using or spending the campaign funds. Some of the politicians claim that the wrong usage of the campaign funds is because they are underfinanced. This makes the current political system to favor only some individuals who end up spending the money in the wrong way. In order to stop the politicians from using the campaign funds in the wrong way, various strategies ought to be set. Some people suggest that it would be effective to implement this plan if only the government manages to take the campaign funds away from the politicians. The main problem associated with the campaign fund is the usage of the money. This problem is raised by the current strategy of the campaign finance reform whereby it does not offer strict measures of how politicians ought to spend the campaign funds. In order to get a clear view…… [Read More]

U S Senate and Election United

The similarities between these qualifications and those of the Senate are evident and in both instances, there is no reference of gender, ethnicity, or social position as a qualification. The term of a member of the House of Representatives is two years.

To become a member of either the House of Representatives or the Senate requires that the aspiring individual win an election to that position. Initially, the state legislatures appointed the Senators from each state. This practice was discontinued by the 17th Amendment to the constitution. The second of November is a critical date for the House and Senate; at that time, the people choose who will represent them by direct vote. In every general election cycle, one third of the Senate is up for reelection along with the entire House of Representatives. While the Senate will always contain previous members, it is theoretically possible to replace all the members of the House of Representatives during the election.

The election is a usually a fiercely contested affair. The two major parties advance their candidates to contest the available positions. To receive the party's nomination a candidate is often required to win a primary. During the primary, multiple challengers contest…… [Read More]

Election Results - President Barak

Joy at a victory is not particularly remarkable, but the volume -- in size and decibels -- of the crowd, and the length of time MSNBC devoted to its coverage, indicates more the kind of "all-in" trust that Hobbes describes than the support of the masses for a political candidate in a healthy democracy.

Hobbes goes on to say that an assembly of men speaking in one voice would also be possible. But an assembly of men can never truly have just one voice; this country is a giant assembly of men and women, with many voices, and differing opinions. To put this much trust in one man, however much he may appeal to one's sensibilities and political opinions, is a scary step away from democracy and towards something far less individual and more nebulous.

Works… [Read More]

Election the Word Election Is

The Prime Minister of the country was for example under extreme pressure to prove that the elections could be run in a perfectly democratic manner. However, when democracy was not in his favor, violent measures were taken and a reelection demanded to manipulate the results.

The reaction of all involved parties to all the actions taken by the Prime Minister and his ruling party were negative and heavily oppositional. This was not the case in the United States. While some campaign tactics may have resorted to extreme measures in terms of insult or discreditization, this did not result in murder or public violence. Indeed, when the results were made known, parties were able to communicate peacefully. The Republicans, who lost the campaign, accepted the results gracefully once it became clear that recounting the ballots would not change the results (BBC News). Indeed, according to BBC News, President Bush is perfectly willing to work with the winning opposition in order to find solutions to problematic political issues such as Iraq. This, as seen above, is not the case in Ethiopia at all, although it is also true that U.S. campaigners who resorted to potentially harmful tactics would be likely to deny…… [Read More]

Elections Pale Against Boko Haram Threat

Nigeria Election and Media Coverage

The Nigerian elections committee has postponed the national election until March 28, 2015. The election was scheduled to take place on February 14, but growing concerns about violence and security issues have triggered this cautionary response. Yet, there are some who believe that postponement will not substantially result in improved security, and instead will worsen conditions. Nigeria's security chiefs are not confident that they can keep voters in the northeastern region of the country safe from the extremist militant group Boko Haram. Hundreds of schoolgirls were abducted in the northeast Nigeria last spring, and Boko Haram fighters attacked a village in neighboring Chad in February.

President Goodluck Johnathan's decision to postpone the election until security improves does not align with his position for most of 2014 in which he attempted to diminish the militant threat. As Boko Haram's attacks have become more blatantly daring, the popularity of Muhammadu Buhari has increased in concert. Touting his experience as a former military ruler, Buhari claims he will crack down on Boko Haram if he is elected President. Notably, Buhari must fund his own campaign, while Johnathan dips into state funds to keep his campaign front and center.…… [Read More]

Electoral Behavior in Elections

The voter is grappling with an economic landscape that has seen income inequality increase, with the elites enjoying prosperity; while the middle class hemorrhages wealth and loses income.

The economic variable is the most prominent short-term factor which affects the voter however, equally pressing is the "long-term predisposition" (Miller, W. & Niemi, R. 2002. P. 170) of the voter concerning; "an egalitarian/free-market values dimension that contrasts egalitarian or socialist vs. laissez-faire or free-market values" (Miller, W. & Niemi, R. 2002. P. 172). Voters in Europe and The U.S. are confronted with this polemical; the social democracy governed by a redistribution mentality, or the allure of capitalism and wealth creation despite its penchant for gyrations and economic uncertainty. The coming elections have at their core these fundamental choices based on both short-term and long-term factors, yet will voters have the ability, tools, or option to cast a vote representative of their belief and values?… [Read More]

Right to Vote Elections and

One hypothesis is that many African-Americans yielded to the intimidation of the time and simply did not want to risk their safety and the safety of their families.

6. Poll Taxes

A poll tax is a tax of a fixed amount charged each person to register to vote. (Webster's New World Law Dictionary.) as discussed previously, poll taxes were outlawed by the Twenty First Amendment. The practical effect of poll taxes at the time they were in effect was to prevent African-Americans from voting, as addressed by the Supreme Court, in the case of Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, 383 U.S. 663 (1966).

In this case, the appellants brought the case before the Court in order to have Virginia's poll tax declared unconstitutional. The Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals decision who had ruled against the appellants and cited to the following in their opinion: 1) "Once the right to vote has been granted, lines which determine who may vote may not be drawn so as to cause invidious discrimination, 2) Fee payments or wealth, just as race, creed, or color, are unrelated to the citizen's ability to participate intelligently in the electoral process, 3) the interest of…… [Read More]

Texas Election System as Each

Pluralist theorists often dispute that political power in Texas is dispersed among an extensive range of rival groups and interests, and that this rivalry serves to limit the power of any single group on the institutions of government. Even though there are noticeable dissimilarities in the resources of groups, there is adequate opposition and dealings among the groups to attain the objectives of a democratic society. Public policy, in this outlook, reveals the cooperation of rival interests (the Power of Interest Groups, 2010).

Supporters of elitist theory contend that political power in Texas is concerted in the hands of a comparatively small amount of people who obtain their funds from influential institutional bases. These institutions are joined collectively with multifaceted interconnected associations, and access to their leadership places is limited. Known as the Texas Establishment, those who dominated authority in the past were mostly white males from the higher socioeconomic groups. Even though there is some rivalry among these influential, there also is a great deal of accord. Historically, the establishment has articulated lack of interest, if not antagonism, toward the interests of labor, minorities, and the lower socioeconomic groups. Yet, the massive social and financial alterations that have taken…… [Read More]

U's Iraq Elections Strategy Since the

This is significant, because the two elements will directly determine the overall extent that these issues will play in deciding when American forces will withdraw. It is through examining this complex role that United States is playing in Iraq, that provide the greatest insights as to what challenges will be faced in the future.… [Read More]

Presidential Election Campaign

Presidential Campaign

revolves under the presidential leadership from its formation. The presidential candidate has to undergo an electoral process so that they are declared winners. The nation has faced challenges like the world wars and even the civil wars due to differences in ideologies. The paper is going to cover U.S. political campaign of President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 as well as how this campaign differs from that of 1912? U.S. political campaign of President Lincoln in 1864 and its strongest factor. In what ways are the Wilson election and the Lincoln elections similar? How does the threat of World War I affect Wilson's campaign? And how did the threat of Civil War affect Lincoln's campaign.

U.S. political campaign of President Woodrow Wilson in 1916

Campaign in Europe was dominated by fighting. The campaign for Woodrow Wilson's re-election was based on a pledge of continued neutrality in the Great War within Europe. He was using a campaign slogan "He Kept Us out of war" which was highly popular, Leary, William M., Jr. (1967). A program of higher mobilization and preparedness was promoted by Hughes, a section of pro-Wilson newspaper alleged that, in any case Hughes was elected, he had the…… [Read More]

American Elections of 1876

Shady American Elections of 1876

The most corruption ridden, heinous and questionable presidential election in American history had only just begun. During the presidential campaign, Rutherford was blasted by Tilden's opposition labeling him thief, briber and a drunkard. Eyebrows were raised in states controlled by Republican about voting fraud; armed and dangerous bigoted white democrats had enveloped the South thwarting blacks from voting in elections. Hence in the aftermath, South Carolina, Louisiana and Florida were judged too close to call. With these states still in-pending, Tilden was short of one electrical vote of 185 as written in the constitution to win an election. Hayes captured 165 electoral votes; now he just needed 20 electoral votes to win from these mentioned three states to attain the president's seat. The crisis began slowly leading up to the threat of a civil war which finally concluded behind the curtain deal, popularly known as Compromise of 1877 as per which Hayes was the elected president whilst withdrawing federal troops in the South which ended with Reconstruction (King).

Elections 1876

The United States of America celebrated its birth year, 1876 after a perplexing and troublesome scandal over the rightful candidacy of the president. Rutherford B.…… [Read More]

President Direct Popular Election and the Electoral College

members of the Electoral College are selected by voters; earlier, however, over 50% of states picked electors from within their governments, thereby eliminating the American public's direct participation in presidential elections. The onset of the 19th century witnessed a rapid transformation of this practice, with voting rights granted to an increasingly broader population segment. With continued expansion of the electorate, a number of individuals entitled to vote in the election for Electoral College members also increased, up to its current limit of every eligible adult American citizen (a legal adult means anyone who is 18 years of age or older). Therefore, the tradition voters choosing presidential electors became a preliminary, lasting facet of America's Electoral College structure. Also, though states (theoretically) still enjoy constitutional choosing rights via an alternative mode, this is highly unlikely (Electoral College - Facts & Summary). The Electoral College's existence and duties are, in modern American society, so little-known that a majority of voters in the U.S. think they directly vote for their President as well as Vice President during elections. Despite Electoral College members being popular figures in the government, (e.g., state legislators, governors, or other local and state governmental authorities), they often aren't recognized…… [Read More]

Big Data Source for 2014 Election

Open Data Source for Election 2014

Open data are the data that can be freely redistributed and used by anyone for personal or research purpose. One of the examples of open data is a government data that contain tremendous resources. Moreover, the open government data can assist in making a better decision. By law, the government data should be opened to anybody. Thus, the political analysts and statisticians have taken the advantages of the open data to generate a big data for the U.S. 2014 senate election in order to predict the outcome of the election results.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of big data for the analysis of the 2014 U.S. senate election. Since 2012, the big data has played a major role in the U.S. politics. In 2012, the Republican used the data analytics in winning the 2012 Presidential election by using the big data to predict the voter sentiments. Despite the benefits that can be derive from big data analytics in predicting election results; the use of big data is still new. By consequent, no comprehensive research paper investigates the role of big data in predicting the U.S. election results. The research…… [Read More]

Dollarocracy How the Money and Media Election Complex Is Destroying America

Dollarocracy

Nichols and McChesney (2013) write about election spending and the negative effect that it has on democracy and governance in America in their book Dollarocracy: How the money-and-election complex is destroying America.. They have divided the book into central themes, including the concept of privilege, spending by the very wealthy, advertising and the role of the media in the election machine, finally arriving at some suggestions for reform to restore balance to the democratic system of the United States.

The book opens with an explanation of one of the core principles that underpins their arguments, that America is a society driven by class differences. Those with privilege consistently seek to use that privilege to enhance it. The authors make the case that such practices at this point are so rampant that "the United States is now rapidly approaching a point where the electoral process itself ceases to function as a means for citizens to effectively control leaders and guide government policies." Special interests -- primarily those of the richest Americans and corporate entities -- are now driving public policy debate, influencing public opinion and dictating the interests of government. "The moneyed interests are confident," they note, "that even in…… [Read More]

Winning an Election President Incumbent

incumbent is the existing holder of a political office who normally has a structural advantage over challengers during an election," ("The Power of Incumbency" 1). In the House of Representatives, incumbents win over 80% of their elections ("The Power of Incumbency" 1). For the presidential race, the power of incumbency is different and in many ways, weaker due to term limits and the nature of the executive office. Anti-incumbency can haunt presidents who, for whatever exogenous or endogenous factors, had a difficult presidency. Prevailing party fatigue can also be a factor boosting the chances of a non-incumbent from the opposing political party. In the case of presidential elections taking place after a two-term president such as in 2016, there is no incumbent and therefore the process by which the hopefuls win their party's nomination becomes the focal point of their campaign work.

Incumbents enjoy obvious advantages over their non-incumbent counterparts such as name and brand recognition, access to campaign finance, access to state party leaders, and even access to government resources "that can be indirectly used to boost a campaign," ("The Power of Incumbency" 1). One of the most important means of boosting a presidential campaign is through the party…… [Read More]

Rights Constitution Election System General

Eason Jordan made what he defined as a "life and death" decision to withhold information that might get his informants killed in Iraq. "It's very simple," he said. "Do you report things that get people killed? The answer is no.," (cited by Rutenberg, 2003). Jordan's decision is a little bit surprising, considering the media's generally ruthless approach to journalism: such as the push to get the story first, or to glean information before competitors in the industry. Journalism is cutthroat enough on an individual level: leading reporters on the ground and editorial boards to make decisions that are in the best interest of the company, but which are not necessarily ethical.

In the case with Eason Jordan, however, it seems that the editorial choice might have been the ethical one. Although "several journalism professors and commentators said Mr. Jordan had compromised CNN's journalistic mission so the cable network could continue to report from Iraq," Jordan's explanation seems equally as plausible (Rutenberg, 2003). Jordan claims that the decision was not made to enable CNN to continue reporting, which is probably would have done anyway. There is no reason to believe that Jordan's decision was made only so that CNN would be…… [Read More]

Has America Moved Past Affirmative Action With the Election of a Black President

Social Psychology Dynamics in the Political Arena

Has America moved past Affirmative Action with the election of a Black President?

"Black Employment in Municipal Jobs: The Impact of Black Political Power" by Peter K. Eisinger explores levels of black employment in 43 U.S. cities as they relate to four variables: the size of the local black population, the presence of a black mayor, the expansion or contraction of the local public sector, and the level of education of the local black labor pool. Eisinger found that the size of the local black population most affected levels of black employment in the public sector, and argues that a partial reason for this circumstance is political; the larger the black population, the more substantial the black voting bloc. The second most influential factor affecting black employment levels is the presence of a black mayor. The expansion of the local public sector appears to facilitate black employment at "some very modest level," while level of education of the local black labor pool appears to have no affect on black employment. These findings, Eisinger implies, suggest that city governments do in fact have the power to influence the economic well-being of minorities.

"White Residents,…… [Read More]

Political Election Have Defied My

My family already recycles, and I am working with my community association to change garbage service providers to one that takes a broader range of recyclable materials, to encourage more recycling in my neighborhood. At home, my family has also stopped drinking bottled only eats organic free-range meat and poultry products, though we still drink bottled water and eat factory-farm products when dining out. While none of these changes can completely eliminate my carbon footprint, I think that if all Americans embraced these types of changes, we could see a noticeable difference in the continued rate of climate change and environmental destruction.

Economically

While it may be difficult to forecast the environmental future, it seems like making a ten-year financial forecast would be impossible in these difficult financial times. However, I think that I can accurately predict that I will be doing well financially in ten years. I am fortunate to have a good job and relatively substantial savings. Because I have planned well, I have a savings cushion that will provide me with six months of living expenses before I am required to tap into my retirement savings. As long as I do not attempt to access any of…… [Read More]

Presidential Election of 2008 in

Another Wall Street Journal article (April 2, 2007) explains that Senator Hillary Clinton is the current top fundraiser among Democratic candidates for president.

In the Washington Post (March 29, 2007), former presidential candidate Steve Forbes has decided not to run again, but he threw his endorsement over to Republican Rudy Giuliani. Senator Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, picked up the endorsement of Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, according to the New York Times (March 24, 2007). In the March 19, 2007 edition of the Washington Post, it is reported that presidential candidates will continue to receive Secret Service security protection. The Los Angeles Times (March 18, 2007) reports that Senator Clinton is running as "the female-warrior" candidate and Barak Obama is running as the "black-white-immigrant" candidate. And the Washington Post reports on March 18, 2007 that the excellence of the speechwriters for Democratic Senator Chris…… [Read More]

Medicare 2012 Election The Great Medicare Debate

Medicare

2012 Election: The Great Medicare Debate

Since 1965, Medicare has been attempting to provide low cost, guaranteed access to much needed healthcare for senior citizens over the age of 65 and other age groups that suffer from disabilities and terminal diseases. These people represent some of the most vulnerable population groups in the United States. Most do not work, and rely on Medicare to provide them the access to healthcare they need. Unlike privatized health insurance companies, Medicare is a social insurance program that is paid for through federal mandates and tax payer funds. Billions of dollars are spent annually on over 50 million Americans in need (Alonso-Zaldivar 1). The care structure itself is broken into several main parts: Medicare Part A covers hospital costs, Part B cover most outpatient care costs, and Part C and D. cover prescription drug costs through dealing with other private insurance. Yet, the upcoming election in November is threatening to change and alter the structure. Each candidate has his own plan to deal with Medicare; both are trying to reign in the costs of operating Medicare, but with some elements being obviously more beneficial for Medicare recipients than others.

Mitt Romney is the…… [Read More]

General Politics Presidency Election

role of government in the current debates surrounding the enactment of universal healthcare and the illicit drug war along the Mexican border, it is critical to look to the powers granted by the Constitution. Yet, the Constitution has always meant different things to different people throughout American history. As any law student will tell you, one of the major conflicts surrounding the Constitution is the concept of Originalism. This legal understanding holds that if the Constitution is to mean anything, the courts must interpret it through the lens of the men who put the ink to the paper and established the government (Scalia, 1998). Yet, significant flaws exist in this theory as the Founders themselves were not of one mind but were a diverse and politically combative group to the point of fighting duels with one another (e.g. Hamilton's murder at the hands of Burr). To return to these modern issues, the real issue being faced is the power of the federal government to address issues that were not specifically assigned to it in the Constitution and how that document should be interpreted.

Proponents of universal healthcare argue that the legislation enacting it was Constitutional under Congress' expressed power to…… [Read More]

Voting During the 2000 Elections

Ethnic groups such as Black people and Hispanics, and also women, had to fight for their right to vote. The many fighters who suffered and died during these struggles should be honored by using the rights that they won. It is not a right that should be taken for granted.

The news is filled with reports about countries where the right to vote is almost mythical. Women are oppressed, ethnic groups are executed for reasons not better than that they dare to exist, and the countries are ruled by tyranny rather than democracy. Voting in the United States can then be used as an example of the power of democracy.

Voting is a very important action in any democratic country. Citizens should exercise it as a privilege, a right, and also a responsibility and an example to those without democracy.… [Read More]

Government Expenditures the 2012 Election

Solutions for the Future

Even a quick look at budget documents for the next few decades indicate a system burdened with exploding costs of Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare; the latter the powder keg of the debt explosion. A reform of Medicare in which there is "only $1 in Medicare taxes for every $3 in benefits likely to be received in retirement" (Appelbaum & Gebeloff 6) must be a Congressional and Presidential priority. Returning the program to a role of insurance rather than a direct coverage program would be a start; Paul Ryan's proposal of premium support is a working model. Social Security must also be strengthened with common sense adjustments in payroll tax collection and age eligibility.

Those are the entitlement reforms however; these changes also forego the numerous tax expenditures which increase the government tab. The earned income tax credit, home mortgage deduction, and education credits are tax code distortions which increase the national debt. It is time to completely rework the tax code and eliminate these carve outs to streamline the system, lower rates, and pave the way for a massive expansion of economic growth along with increased revenue flow to the federal government.

Conclusion

Yes, the…… [Read More]

CA Recall Election

CA Recall

Analysis of the Results of the California Recall Election

Although the general issues pertaining to the current California crisis, such as the hated car tax and the fear of yet another electricity crisis, no doubt affected all voters across the state, in general, Caucasians were more apt to vote to recall Governor Davis than were Black and Latino voters. This may be attributed to the fact that these, and other hot-button issues of recent date, negatively impacted whites in such a fashion that they were likely to vote for the recall. This does not mean that all Californians were not affected, but that Whites and affluent individuals in general were more likely to experience these negative issues as recent events.

Because affluent suburban whites were more apt to see such events as negatively impacting their lifestyle quite recently, these Caucasians were more apt to blame Governor Davis as the source of such detrimental policies as the car tax. In contrast, African-Americans were likely not to attribute a negative downturn in their lifestyle to a short-term immediate political cause as who sat in the governor's seat, but to long-term societal problems stretching far beyond Davis' term in office.

This…… [Read More]

How the Election Process Is Rigged

Voting rights in the U.S. has reached a critical stage as the Establishment becomes more concerned with the threat of outsider takeover. Recent years have seen everything from gerrymandering to heightened coordination among political elites (like Mitch McConnell), media Establishment leaders (like William Kristol), and business moguls (like Jeff Bezos) in an effort to control the voting outcomes of primaries (Ron Paul was blocked by the RNC in 2012 and in 2016 Trump's victories have been the rallying point for concern among these individuals). The voting rights law in the United States may at first seem simple but are in fact complicated by the rights of Super Pacs, delegates, and Super Delegates -- all of which combine to swing the political process to unjustly favor the outcome of the Establishment rather than of the voting populace.

According to U.S. law, anyone who is 18 years of age and a citizen of the U.S. (maintaining the residency requirements of his/her state) can vote in an election. However, this does not mean that the individual's vote is actually counted or in any way impactful. Presidential elections are still the result of an electoral process and the nomination of candidates is a result…… [Read More]

Young African-American Men Despite the Election of

Young, African-American men

Despite the election of an African-American man to the presidency, young African-American men still suffer disproportionately from a number of social ills. This is most strikingly manifest in the disproportionate number of young black men in the nation's prisons, the evident disparities between the performance of African-Americans and whites manifest within the educational system, and the disproportionate difficulties young African-American males experience in finding gainful employment.

Although only 13% of the nation is African-American, 49% of prison inmates nationally are African -American. A black male born in 1991 has a 29% chance of spending time in prison at some point in his life, while the chance for a white male is less than one percent. The chance for a Hispanic man is 16% (Mauer 2011). The reasons for this are debatable: a culture of criminality within urban enclaves that normalize delinquent behavior may be partially the cause but disparities in sentencing may also be at the root of the matter. "Among black defendants convicted of drug offenses, 71% received sentences to incarceration in contrast to 63% of convicted white drug offenders. Human Rights Watch's analysis of prison admission data for 2003 revealed that relative to population, blacks…… [Read More]

Striking Aspects of the Current Election Season

striking aspects of the current election season is the extent to which both parties claim to be the defenders of the American middle class. This is a fairly consistent theme in most American political campaigns. Neither party wants to be seen as the party of the elites, but nor does either party wish to be seen as the party of the poor. Even though America as a whole is suffering in terms of a lack of jobs, a lack of affordable healthcare, and other issues directly pertaining to a worsening economy and the great divide between the haves and the have-nots, Americans still like to see themselves as middle class.

I wonder if this is because Americans as a whole associate success with being morally worthy, and being poor with being unworthy. While there is some sense that having rich parents can give people a greater material advantage in life and greater access to elite educational and business institutions, when it comes to being poor, many Americans blame the poor for their own fate. 'Why don't you get a job at McDonald's rather than taking welfare,' they say, ignoring the fact that many jobless Americans need critical skills to improve…… [Read More]

National Election Looming in Which

In an era supposedly far removed from the institutional bigotry of prior decades, this inexplicable gap represents an unacceptable failing on the part of both public servants and private industry. I agree with the article's conclusion that the ACA's mandated expansion of federal programs providing health care to underserved communities "will create professional opportunities for doctors, nurses and other health care workers from underrepresented racial, ethnic and economic groups" (Workforce, 2011) because decades of workforce research and statistical evidence suggests that the market is unable or unwilling to do so of its own accord.

As a direct consequence of the workforce composition issues addressed above, the racial and ethnic background of patient groups adversely affects overall health by depleting the effectiveness of health care delivery to disadvantaged groups. The article addressing these disparities declares emphatically that "more than 50 years of efforts to improve diversity in the nation's health care workforce have not achieved their goal" (Disparities, 2011), and after careful consideration of the available evidence I would tend to agree with that statement. When census data clearly illustrates that "African-Americans are nearly twice as likely to be uninsured as whites and Hispanics are more than three times as likely…… [Read More]

Quebec Referendum

Elections and Dennis Tourbin Controversy

The following paper is mainly related to elections. It has three parts. In the first part, the paper discusses the effect of leaders on the results of an election. It also discusses the results of Quebec elections 2014 and the effect of leaders on it. The second part of the paper focuses on the Dennis Tourbin controversy and the reasons behind the cancellation of the exhibit it was going to be a part of. The last part of the paper discusses whether the cancellation of the exhibit was against Tourbin's rights or not. It also discusses the impact of the exhibit at Ottawa art gallery on the Quebec referendum.

Impact of Leaders on Election Results

Nowadays, the leaders have a great impact on the performance of the political parties in the elections. The leaders appearing in election advertisements on the television and in different campaign events have an influence on the people. They create this influence with the power of their speech and as a result, people follow and eventually vote their favorites. The impact of leaders was not that high in the beginning when the people used to think of the leaders as just…… [Read More]

Voter Turnout

Elections

Role of Diminishing Marginal Return on Voter Turnout

This paper looks at the effects of diminishing marginal returns on voter turnout by comparing voter turnout in various countries. The paper will look at countries with both high and low voter turnout and attempt to explain the differences in the importance of the vote in explaining the differences.

Voter Turnout in Established and Less-Established Democracies

While the leaders in turnout during the past few decades have been mainly new democracies, when one looks at broader figures there does appear to be a difference in turnout between "established democracies" and "less-established democracies.

Political scientist Arend Lijphart, categorized established democracies as all countries that are democratic now, and have been democratic for the last 20 years, and which have a population of at least a quarter of a million people (International IDEA, 2000).

A. Discussion of Data from Established Democracies vs. Less-Established Democracies

At the time of his research, the overall average turnout in the post-war period for Lijphart's 36 established democracies is 73% -- a sharp contrast with the average of 59% for the remaining 136 countries. Nevertheless, as shown in Table 1, turnout rates in both established democracies, and the…… [Read More]

Communications Media Coverage of Presidential

A candidate is "dumb" or, possibly, "dumber" than his opponent.

The assassination of a Basque politician by the Basque separatist group ETA on the very eve of the election, March 7th, threatened to again confound public opinion of the relative merits of the two major candidates. Ramon Cotarelo, a professor of political science at Madrid's Complutense University opined that public sympathy could swing to Zapatero because the assassinated man was a member of his party or, as the media also reported, "But it could go the other way.... People might say, 'iron fist. The Socialists are no good. Look, they negotiate and it does no good. You have to vote for the right.'"

The idea that public opinion is so easily swayed by last minute violence, or by emotional responses to such violence, is typical of much political thinking in the two countries. Time is not wasted on the real issues facing the nation because it is believed that these are not the things that genuinely concern voters. Rather, the appeal is to emotional appraisals of dramatic developments or, in the absence of these developments, emotional "gut" reactions to candidate's personalities, speeches, stances on minor points, etc.

Both the United…… [Read More]

Should Electoral College Be Abolished

election of George W. Bush over Al Gore in 2000, who won the electoral vote in spite of losing the popular vote, rekindled a controversy that has been going on for some time now: has the Electoral College mechanism lived its time?

According to the United States constitution, each state is entitled to choose its electors for president and vice-president as a number equal to the total number of representatives and senators the respective state has. The choosing itself is left to the states, by direct popular vote in each state. If the voting for President is a tie, the Constitution specified that this would be decided upon in the House of Representatives. In the initial way the Electoral College was designed by the founding fathers, the winner of the majority of electoral votes would win the election and become president, while the runner-up would become Vice-President. Of course, it is necessary to look at things as they were in the times the founding fathers deigned the mechanisms: no political parties, for instance.

One of the negative implications of the Electoral College, as pointed out by many theoreticians, is the "winner take all" method, according to which the candidate that…… [Read More]