Political scienceLesson 2 of 2 in the course Interest Groups, Political Parties, and Elections

Electoral Systems, Direct Democracy, and Election Administration

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Elections use rules to translate voters’ choices into representatives and governments. This lesson explains how electoral districts work, how plurality and majority rules differ, and how proportional representation offers another approach.

An electoral district is a geographic area whose residents vote to elect a representative. U.S. House, state legislative, and local elections generally use districts that are designed to be roughly equal in population. Congress established district-based House elections in 1842 and later required districts to be equal in population.

All flashcards

What is an electoral district?
A geographic area whose residents vote to elect a representative.
How is the number of Electoral College electors for each state determined?
It equals the state’s number of U.S. House members plus its two senators.
How do plurality and majority rules differ?
Plurality requires more votes than any opponent; majority requires more than 50 percent of the vote.
What is proportional representation?
An electoral system that allocates legislative seats according to parties’ shares of the vote.
What distinguishes open-list from closed-list proportional representation?
In a closed list, the party sets candidate order; in an open list, voters can express a candidate preference.

Quiz questions

  1. What did the 17th Amendment establish for U.S. Senate elections?Answer: Direct election of senators by popular vote.
  2. In most U.S. states, what does winner-take-all mean for Electoral College votes?Answer: The state’s popular-vote winner receives all of its electoral votes.
  3. Which direct-democracy procedure lets citizens propose a new law or policy for voters to decide?Answer: A ballot initiative
  4. Which level of government administers most U.S. elections?Answer: State and local governments
  5. Who formally appoints the United Kingdom’s prime minister?Answer: The monarch

Based on Introduction to Political Science by Mark Carl Rom, Masaki Hidaka, Rachel Bzostek Walker (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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