the most important role of election officials is to make sure that an election takes place. is administered fairly. is inexpensive. finishes on time.

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election

Elections make a fundamental contribution to democratic governance. Because direct democracy—a form of government in which political decisions are made directly by the entire body of qualified citizens—is impractical in most modern societies, democratic government must be conducted through representatives. Elections enable voters to select leaders and to hold them accountable for their performance in office. Accountability can be undermined when elected leaders do not care whether they are reelected or when, for historical or other reasons, one party or coalition is so dominant that there is effectively no choice for voters among alternative candidates, parties, or policies. Nevertheless, the

Functions of elections

Elections make a fundamental contribution to democratic governance. Because direct democracy—a form of government in which political decisions are made directly by the entire body of qualified citizens—is impractical in most modern societies, democratic government must be conducted through representatives. Elections enable voters to select leaders and to hold them accountable for their performance in office. Accountability can be undermined when elected leaders do not care whether they are reelected or when, for historical or other reasons, one party or coalition is so dominant that there is effectively no choice for voters among alternative candidates, parties, or policies. Nevertheless, the possibility of controlling leaders by requiring them to submit to regular and periodic elections helps to solve the problem of succession in leadership and thus contributes to the continuation of democracy. Moreover, where the electoral process is competitive and forces candidates or parties to expose their records and future intentions to popular scrutiny, elections serve as forums for the discussion of public issues and facilitate the expression of public opinion. Elections thus provide political education for citizens and ensure the responsiveness of democratic governments to the will of the people. They also serve to legitimize the acts of those who wield power, a function that is performed to some extent even by elections that are noncompetitive.

Elections also reinforce the stability and legitimacy of the political community. Like national holidays commemorating common experiences, elections link citizens to each other and thereby confirm the viability of the polity. As a result, elections help to facilitate social and political integration.

Finally, elections serve a self-actualizing purpose by confirming the worth and dignity of individual citizens as human beings. Whatever other needs voters may have, participation in an election serves to reinforce their self-esteem and self-respect. Voting gives people an opportunity to have their say and, through expressing partisanship, to satisfy their need to feel a sense of belonging. Even nonvoting satisfies the need of some people to express their alienation from the political community. For precisely these reasons, the long battle for the right to vote and the demand for equality in electoral participation can be viewed as the manifestation of a profound human craving for personal fulfillment.

Whether held under authoritarian or democratic regimes, elections have a ritualistic aspect. Elections and the campaigns preceding them are dramatic events that are accompanied by rallies, banners, posters, buttons, headlines, and television coverage, all of which call attention to the importance of participation in the event. Candidates, political parties, and interest groups representing diverse objectives invoke the symbols of nationalism or patriotism, reform or revolution, past glory or future promise. Whatever the peculiar national, regional, or local variations, elections are events that, by arousing emotions and channeling them toward collective symbols, break the monotony of daily life and focus attention on the common fate.

Source : www.britannica.com

Campaigns and Elections Flashcards

Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards terms like The most important role of election officials is to make sure that an election A. takes place. B. is administered fairly. C. is inexpensive. D. finishes on time., While private funding for a campaign may come from a variety of sources, which source provides public funding for a campaign? A. wealthy donors B. government C. foreign countries D. labor unions, In a political campaign, the person with the responsibility of contacting the media and creating printed materials is the A. campaign manager. B. fund-raising chairperson. C. communications director. D. volunteer coordinator. and more.

Campaigns and Elections

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The most important role of election officials is to make sure that an election

A. takes place.

B. is administered fairly.

C. is inexpensive.

D. finishes on time.

Click card to see definition 👆

B

Click again to see term 👆

While private funding for a campaign may come from a variety of sources, which source provides public funding for a campaign?

A. wealthy donors B. government

C. foreign countries

D. labor unions

Click card to see definition 👆

B

Click again to see term 👆

1/10 Created by aftermists

Terms in this set (10)

The most important role of election officials is to make sure that an election

A. takes place.

B. is administered fairly.

C. is inexpensive.

D. finishes on time.

B

While private funding for a campaign may come from a variety of sources, which source provides public funding for a campaign?

A. wealthy donors B. government

C. foreign countries

D. labor unions B

In a political campaign, the person with the responsibility of contacting the media and creating printed materials is the

A. campaign manager.

B. fund-raising chairperson.

C. communications director.

D. volunteer coordinator.

C

In a general election, each state has officials who count and ____________ votes.

certify

A meeting of party members to choose a nominee through debate is called a

A. primary. B. convention. C. caucus.

D. general election.

C

The role of a campaign manager is to

A. select a candidate to run for office.

B. contact the media on a daily basis.

C. donate money to buy campaign materials.

D. oversee a campaign organization.

D

One reason some argue that campaign financing should be restricted it is because

A. supporting a candidate is considered free speech.

B. the Constitution limits the influence of citizens on elections.

C. limitations help to ensure the wealthy are less influential.

D. restrictions allow for greater influence by fewer corporations.

C

Which of these people might be a member of a campaign staff? Select all that apply.

- poll worker - candidate - volunteer worker

- communications director

- fund-raiser volunteer worker

communications director

fund-raiser

In a closed primary, who selects a political party's nominees for office?

A. all qualified voters

B. only party members

C. only party leaders

D. delegates B

Which of these is the best reason to explain why candidates for office hire campaign staff to run their campaigns?

A. Campaigns are complex undertakings, and candidates must hire staff members to manage specific activities.

B. If candidates for office lose their runs for office, they can blame staff members for what went wrong.

C. Candidates hire staff members because campaigns provide an opportunity to give jobs to family members and friends.

D. Campaigns are run according to accepted rules, and one of those rules is that candidates for office must hire campaign staff.

A

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Electoral Systems —

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Electoral Systems

The choice of Electoral System is one of the most important institutional decisions for any democracy. The choice of a particular electoral system has a profound effect on the future political life of the country concerned, and electoral systems, once chosen, often remain fairly constant as political interests solidify around and respond to the incentives presented by them. However, while conscious design has become far more prevalent recently, traditionally it has been rare for electoral systems to be consciously and deliberately selected.

The global movement towards democratic governance in the 1980s and 1990s, which stimulated a new urgency in the search for enduring models of appropriate representative institutions and a fresh re-evaluation of electoral systems, has increased dramatically in the early years of this century. This process was encouraged by the realization that the choice of political institutions can have a significant impact on the wider political system. Electoral systems are today viewed as one of the most influential of all political institutions, and of crucial importance to broader issues of governance.

The Electoral Systems Encyclopedia topic focuses on the design, mechanisms, and effects of different electoral systems on national, local and supranational levels. It identifies, describes and classifies 12 distinct electoral systems and discusses their relationship with the larger institutional framework as well as their impact on administrative issues.

Context

Political institutions shape the rules of the game under which democracy is practised, and it is often argued that the easiest political institution to manipulate, for good or for bad, is the electoral system. In translating the votes cast in a general election into seats in the legislature, the choice of electoral system can effectively determine who is elected and which party gains power. While many aspects of a country’s political framework are often specified in the constitution and can thus be difficult to amend, electoral system change often only involves new legislation and can thus be subject to manipulation by unscrupulous majority.

Even with each voter casting exactly the same vote and with exactly the same number of votes for each party, one electoral system may lead to a coalition government or a minority government while another may allow a single party to assume majority control.

A number of other consequences of electoral systems go beyond this primary effect. Some systems encourage, or even enforce, the formation of political parties; others recognize only individual candidates. The type of party system which develops, in particular the number and the relative sizes of political parties in the legislature, is heavily influenced by the electoral system. So is the internal cohesion and discipline of parties: some systems may encourage factionalism, where different wings of one party are constantly at odds with each other, while another system might encourage parties to speak with one voice and suppress dissent. Electoral systems can also influence the way parties campaign and the way political elites behave, thus helping to determine the broader political climate; they may encourage, or retard, the forging of alliances between parties; and they can provide incentives for parties and groups to be broadly based and accommodating, or to base themselves on narrow appeals to ethnicity or kinship ties.

Source : aceproject.org