POL SCI 1 Study Guide - Final Guide: Originalism, Moral Authority, Judicial Activism
5 Mar 2018
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In the us federal elections are based within single member districts. Within each unit only one candidate can win. Plurality voting: whoever gets the most votes (not necessarily a majority) wins. Thus in order to win seats you need a majority of party support in that district and in order to win a lot of seats you need a majority of party support nationwide. This leads candidates and citizens to vote strategically leads candidates to align their views with one of the majority parties and citizens to pick whoever has the best chance of winning that they like. Elections do not incentivize members of congress to pass policy. They take positions just so they can tell their constituents that they took a position. Bringing back pork incentivizes congress to pass policies. The new deal coalition -party system, standardizes economic policies across states. Party realignment in the 1920"s in which the democrats gained the support to immigrants, workers and catholics.
