CH 9 Sec 1

CH 9 Sec 1

1)   Explain how the electoral system influences presidential campaigns.

a.     The electoral college is pretty much free to vote for whom they please, legally. They decide who becomes president at voting times. Some states have laws regarding how the elector can vote, but others work on faith. Also, the electoral college votes can be misleading because some state just cast all of their votes onto the winner of the majority in their state, not divvy them out according to the population. So a candidate could receive 50 out of 50 votes from the Florida Electoral College, but the only 52% of the population of Florida could have voted for the winning candidate. Thus the results can become a bit skewed.

2)   Discuss how modern campaigns are funded.

a.     Originally many were funded by private donors and citizens, but now candidates can be endorsed by corporations which many don’t agree with. Also, candidates can be federally funded if they have 5+ % of the popular vote.

3)   What is the impact of mass media on elections?

a.     Media has huge influence on the voting of citizens, as it always has. Even in times when only news papers were readily available, they influenced public opinion. People often consult their favorite TV programs or news paper for information on potential candidates.