Am Govt Homework 7 Answers - Student Six

Answer the first five questions, and then two of the remaining three, for a total of seven questions:

1. Is the United States a democracy? Explain briefly.

United States of America is not a direct democracy, but rather a Democratic Republic. Representatives are democratically elected, to vote on laws and matters concerning the country. This system of government uses democracy as a base, but avoids the whims of the people being made into law.

2. What is your prediction for the final Electoral College vote for the presidential election this year? Include actual numbers (e.g., 272 for Obama to 266 for Romney) and a brief discussion.

I think the upcoming election will be 266 Obama to 272 Romney.

3. Explain what "early voting" is, and include your view of it.

Early voting is the casting of a ballot before the election, in the case the voter will not be able to vote on election day. These ballots will not be counted until the election. Early voting is good in some circumstances, but can be used very easily for fraud.

4. Rank these systems in order of how democratic they are: closed primary, caucus, open primary, and a referendum.

The least democratic of these is a caucus because only select people are part of it. A closed primary is the next least democratic as this is only open to registered members of a party. An open primary is fairly democratic, as independents can vote as well as party members. A referendum is most democratic because it gives all of the people the right to vote and directly decide a policy.

5. If Romney loses Ohio, Nevada and Iowa, which State(s) must Romney win in order to win the election (assuming that Obama will almost certainly win at least 237 electoral votes" as discussed in the lecture)? (Make sure you understand this question, and doublecheck your answer, because this question is easy to answer incorrectly.)

If Obama wins Ohio, Nevada, and Iowa, then he will have 267 electoral votes. In order to win Romney must take all of the rest of the swing states including Florida, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, and Colorado

6. Write and send a letter to the editor of a newspaper, and include your letter in your homework. (One year a student, in response to a similar question, had his letter accepted for publication in the New York Times.) This is worth two questions.

7. Pick your favorite political term that is defined in this lecture, and explain the significance of it.

Coattails- This term refers to the act of riding on coattails. This is when a leading person of one party indirectly helps other candidates who are of the same party, this is because people have a tendency to vote a straight ticket, rather than a split ticket.

8. What is your view of referenda (also called propositions or initiatives)? Discuss.

A referendum is a form of direct democracy. Referenda are very useful in deciding laws that concern officials, so that they are not simply voting what's best for them, but instead the people think is best.