So how does this all work?

from PolMach Forums

Howdy everyone :)

I was just wondering if anyone knew of a quick tutorial on how the whole US electorial system worked. I tried reading wikipedia but got quite confused with what senators are and other concepts which are foreign to me.

Perhaps some background on why I'm so clueless. I've lived most of my life on a pacific nation where elections generally involve who can purchase the most beer for everyone. Recently I've headed over to australia where I've spent the last few years doing various thing. And yet throughout my life the large influx of american TV has allowed me to have an appriciation for american culture.

As such even on australian tv, a lot of news about the presidential elections have been on, and with the current elections so dramatic (I find more interesting to follow than "Neighbors" or the equivalent "90210") I feel I need a better understanding of the political system to fully appriciate the drama and intruige.

Hence why I downloaded political express 2008 when I heard it was free. I thought it would be a fun way to learn about the political system. But I was wondering if anyone knew of a 5 minute explaination of how the whole thing works from the bottom up. In basic tems. Assuming I know nothing of how it all works. How does one become president from a nobody on the streets?

Thanks ;)

 

politics
4,827 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top

Short answer: No one really knows. :)

Slightly longer answer:  Politicians fling crap at each other for a few months, people vote, electoral colleges vote based off of what the population votes, whoever gets the most electoral votes wins.

Or something like that.  I'm sure someone can explain a bit better.

~Zoo

Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top

People do not vote for president, but for electors.  They cast a vote saying "I want my elector to vote for X".  The candidate who gets the most votes in a state (it could be 10% as long as no other candidate got more), gets all of their electors elected for that state.

The electors say they are going to vote for X, but do not have to (they can vote for anyone they want).  Then in december (after being elected in November) the electors vote.

The long story - there is exceptions to all that, but the above is the short story.  Unless you want the REAL story, and Zoo gave you that.

Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top

I feel I need a better understanding of the political system to fully appriciate the drama and intruige

Its all about which one is better at twisting the truth to herd in the largest flock.

Reply #4 from PolMach Forums Top

The political process in the US used to be based on a simple majority (when the country's population was much smaller), but is now based on an electoral college. Each state, depending on its population, has a specific number of "electors'; for instance, California, having a high population, has 55 electors where Alaska, having a lower population has only 3 electors (each state starts with a minimum of 3 electors, and is given more based on its overall population according to the census).

Dr Guy was mostly right. People cast their votes for the candidate of their choice and the one receiving a simple majority wins all the electoral votes in that state (which is why CA, FL, and TX are often so highly contested - check the 'electoral map' on Wiki to see). In December, after the results of the general election are generally beyond questioning, the electors for each state meet in DC and cast all of their votes for the candidate that the majority of the voters in their state selected. In order to win the election, a candidate needs 270 electoral votes.

There are caveats and 'what if' ideas that go along for the ride, but that's pretty much it in a nutshell.

Reply #5 from PolMach Forums Top

Cool :) Thank you all for the replies, it all makes so much more sense now :)  Now I know why those states are so often mentioned. But out of curiousity what determines the number of electorial votes for each state?


What happens if nobody gets 270 votes? Or is this before the final meeting and they just keep going until somebody finally has the 270 and then they just formalise it?

Oh and I'm curious what are the primaries exactly? Are they some sort of pre-election?

Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top

The political process in the US used to be based on a simple majority (when the country's population was much smaller),

It never was.  Go back and read your history.

Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top

What happens if nobody gets 270 votes? Or is this before the final meeting and they just keep going until somebody finally has the 270 and then they just formalise it?

Then it gets interesting.  The president is picked by the new House of Representatives, but the VP is picked by the Senate.  SO you could have one from each on that one!

Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top

ha ha! that sounds so cool and dramatic. Has that ever happened before?

I think twice - with JOhn Q Adams (6th President) and Ruthereford B Hayes (late 19th century).  Basically not in over 100 years.

But one thing to remember.  Until the 12th amendment was passed, the VP was the runner up in votes, so the first couple of VPs were the President's opponents (but they did not have real parties then either).

Reply #10 from PolMach Forums Top

Thanks. Wow a 100 years, so if it ever was to happen again you'd might have two political opponents of completely different stances running the country. How funky would that be if it happened now? Then everyday would be mudslinging!

But pity that probably won't happen since McCain said he'd pull out. :( 

 

But then I'd be scared, I mean an untried, untested system that hasn't seen anything like that sort of event in over 100 years. Everybody would be on new ground. Maybe it's just the engineer in me that hates untired untested. Does anyone else know of anywhere in the world such a thing happened? I remember hearing about something in Germany?

 

oh wait! Zimbabwe has that whole split deal thing going on now. Is that what it would be like if they split ownership?

Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top

But pity that probably won't happen since McCain said he'd pull out.

That's what every guy says just before....... ;)

But dont sweat it.  The only defined role the VP has is to break ties in the senate.  So if they were different parties, I doubt the President would allow the VP to do anything other than gaze at his navel.