US electoral system general principles for organizing elections in the usa. US electoral system

Recently, the presidential elections were held in the United States. One of the brightest politicians of our time, Donald Trump, won them. In our country, it was common to hear the question: "How are the US presidential elections going, who is in the lead?" Many sarcastically joked that Russia is one of the states of America. Also, the media paid great attention news about the US presidential election. Trump has won. However, our citizens learned about certain electors, on whom the inauguration supposedly depends after the triumph in the elections. Whether this is true or not, we will try to figure it out, as well as explain how the system of presidential elections in the United States works.

Constitutional difference between the American head of state and the Russian

Before we talk in more detail about the recent results of the US presidential elections, let's say the main constitutional difference between the American head of state and the Russian one. Our president does not belong to any of the branches of power, he is the guarantor of the Constitution, the supreme commander in chief. He appoints the head of the executive branch, the highest judges. That is, its powers are quite broad. Impeachment, that is, the removal of the Russian president from office, is quite difficult to carry out. To do this, it is necessary that all three branches of government unite on this issue, two of which, in terms of personnel, depend on the president.

The powers of the head of the American people are also extensive. He determines the direction of foreign and domestic policy, appoints senior military positions, and is also the head of the executive branch. However, the fundamental difference from the Russian one is that the impeachment procedure is completely dependent on Congress, that is, only on the legislature, which, moreover, approves all its decisions. It represents two parties, one of which is initially the president. As long as the majority of members of the Congress are members of the same party, you can, as they say, sleep peacefully. However, if there is an opposite party, then this procedure is quite possible.

It is worth noting that impeachment has never been used, although the participant in the "sex scandal" B. Clinton could have experienced it himself. In recent times, D. Trump may become the first president to whom a dismissal from office may be applied. The thing is that he was not supported by his fellow Republicans. This is the first time. Never before have representatives of one party in the United States supported a candidate from another in an election. Such is the system of presidential elections in the United States, after which his removal is possible.

Two-stage system

So, how are the presidential elections in the United States going. Back in 1789, the founding fathers of the state created a system that still functions today. It is two-stage. In the first, when electing a president, voters actually vote for the state's electoral votes. In each case, their number depends on the inhabitants. It doesn't matter how many a candidate gets the total number of votes in a country, it is important that he gets a majority in each particular state. Such presidential elections in the United States, the ratings of which depend on the electors, are criticized in our country. However, if you analyze it more closely, they are much fairer. This makes us develop absolutely all regions of the country, delve into the individual problems of the state, and find solutions for it. Otherwise, he will support another candidate, and the competitor will receive all the electoral votes. It was precisely the injustice of direct democracy with an uneven population in the states that the Founding Fathers wisely noticed back in the 18th century.

Elections take place in several stages.

Stage one: primaries

At the first stage, from February 1 to the end of June, the primaries take place. This procedure has become mandatory since the 1970s. During them, voters choose one candidate from the Republican and Democratic parties. This is not yet a US presidential election. Whoever leads the primaries does not yet become the head of state. It is worth noting that candidates from each party are not elected by party members, as in many European countries and the United States, but by ordinary citizens. I did something similar in Russia " United Russia”, When the future candidates for deputies from the party were elected throughout the country before the Duma elections. However, in the United States, this is due to the voting of the future head of state.

Stage two: approval. After the primaries at the party conventions of the winning candidates, two candidates for the post of head are officially confirmed - one from the Democrats, the other from the Republicans.

Stage three: voting for electors

The presidential election in the United States at the third stage is the most important moment. On it, voters vote for candidates. You need to understand about the US presidential election: each state has its own rating. The winning candidate in a particular state receives the votes of all electors. The date for the US presidential election is November 9th.

Stage four: approval

Let's move on to the fourth stage. So how is the US presidential election going? The total number of electors' votes is 538. California has the most of them - 50. To win, it is enough to collect 270 votes. Let's say right away that this is a formal stage. An elector cannot vote for a Democratic candidate if a Republican wins his state. They only have to approve the winning candidate. This happens a few days before Christmas. The result is then approved by both houses of Congress.

Thus, we can conclude that the results of the US presidential elections depend precisely on the third stage, voting in the states, and not on the electors.

Party democracy under the guise of democracy

To understand how the presidential elections in the United States take place, you need to find out how democracy has developed in this country. George Washington also warned that a two-party system could lead to the extinction of democracy. His words, one might say, turned out to be prophetic. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, party bosses were the most influential people. All elective offices, including the president, governors, senators - everything depended on the decisions of the party congresses. They were controlled by powerful people. Thus, in the United States for a long time there was a practice when, under the guise of democracy, all elective positions, including the highest, were appointed on the sidelines. The US presidential election depended not on the population, but on a narrow circle of financial tycoons. In fact, it is an oligopoly or a partocracy under the bright slogans of democracy.

The tabloid press developed democracy

Oddly enough, but it was the "yellow press" that influenced the development of democracy in the United States. The party elite is mired in corruption, scandals, intrigues. The press took advantage of this for their own purposes. Journalists competed with each other for the loudest corrupt headline, making huge sales profits. This coincided with the political struggle of the population to expand their rights and influence the electoral system. Everyone understood that the congresses of deputies did not express the views of citizens. Gradually, step by step, the population acquired more and more electoral rights and opportunities: the United States introduced direct elections for state senators, governors, as well as electing future presidential candidates by direct voting through primaries. Only by the end of the 20th century, all this was finally realized.

Primary system

The date for the US presidential election is November 9th. It is officially approved. However, the same cannot be said about the preliminary voting. Each state itself determines the date and time of its holding. However, today a tradition has developed: primaries should begin in the smallest states - Iowa and New Hampshire. No and unified system voting. Each state also determines how the primaries take place. In some, only representatives of parties are allowed, in others - absolutely all citizens. The latter system is gaining more and more popularity, as the number of those citizens who do not trust either of the two ruling parties is growing every year. According to estimates of political scientists and sociologists, today there are already about a third of the population.

Why is the USA a bipartisan system

Many people know that two parties play a leading role in the United States. This does not mean that other political forces are banned. In the United States, it is perfectly legal to create a third alternative party. There have already been such cases in history. However, the stability of the two-party system is associated with the peculiarity of the majority system. The principle is "all or nothing", that is, the winning party takes all the votes. To take second place, let alone third, is useless. This is not a 7% percentage barrier that needs to be overcome throughout the country - you must definitely win in the state, only then you can get into Congress. This is unrealistic to do with a conservative system of political views.

We hope that we have covered the main points of the political system. We hope that now it has become clear how the presidential elections are held in the United States.

Design, development: Daria Tomchenko

Introduction

The US electoral system is as old as the States themselves. All American federalism is based on it. These elections are monitored all over the world, and it seems that they look more like some kind of reality show than the election of a head of state.

In our country, not everyone knows how to elect the leader of the most powerful country in the world. But what is paradoxical is that not everyone knows this even in the USA itself. The electoral system of the States is so variable, confusing and interesting that it deserves a detailed examination. We will tell you everything there is to know about the US presidential election - from the very beginning to the very end.

HOW THE US PRESIDENT IS CHOSEN

Unique system

The electoral system of the United States is not based on the principle of an ordinary majority, but on the principle of equality of residents of all states and strict filtering of candidates. Back in 1787, at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the "fathers of the nation" different options American electoral system.

First option- election of the president by members of the Congress. He was rejected because such a method would cause serious discord among members of Congress, reduce the effectiveness of Congress, and generate corruption and intrigue in Congress. Moreover, granting such powers to Congress would lead to a dangerous and undesirable change in the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches of government.

Second option- election of the president by the state legislatures. He was rejected due to the possible weakening of the central executive bodies of the country. In this case, the president will become highly dependent on state legislators, become their hostage.

The third option- direct presidential elections by US citizens. And he was rejected, because in this case, the densely populated states will determine the outcome of the election, and the role of the rest will be minimized. At the same time, the Constitution states that all states, regardless of population, have equal rights. Rhode Island officials even boycotted the convention because of their opposition to this approach. In the twentieth century, another disadvantage was added to this option. Direct elections would infringe on the rights of blacks, who make up only 12% of the US population.

As a result, a completely unique US electoral system was created, which continues to function successfully to this day. Over the 200 years of the country's existence, Congress has received about 750 proposals to change it, but they have never been able to collect a majority of three quarters of the vote to change the country's electoral system. However, several amendments regulating some of the nuances were nevertheless made to the Constitution.

All 50 American states have their own governments. The states are equal among themselves and, as separate states, participate in the presidential elections in the country. Ignoring states because of their low population is unacceptable in the democratic system of American federalism. The authors of the Constitution saw in the division of power between the government of the country and the state governments as a guarantee of the security of personal freedoms. If the elections were held on the principle of "one person, one vote", the state of Rhode Island, which became one of the founders of the United States, with a population of 1 million people, would never have an influence on the choice of the president, because, for example, there are 37 residents in California. 5 million people, in Texas 25.5 million. Therefore, the US presidential elections are indirect.

From 1787 to today, more than 30 new states have joined the United States, the population has grown to 300 million, and the electoral system has not changed. This is what the founding fathers' wisdom means.

The foundations of electoral law are laid down in the US Constitution, adopted in 1787. Howard Chandler Christie's painting "The Signing Scene of the United States Constitution"

The President of the United States is elected by the Electoral College. Section 1, Section 2 of the United States Constitution states: "Each state shall appoint, in the manner prescribed by its legislature, electors equal in number to the total number of senators and representatives that the state is entitled to send to Congress."

In fact, in the ballots, voters do not vote for a specific presidential candidate, but for an elector who pledges to cast his vote in support of the candidate. Voters understand that by casting a vote for an elector, they are, in effect, instructing him to vote for the respective candidate in the future. In some states this obligation is not formal, while other states legally oblige the elector to vote only for the candidate for whom the elector has promised to vote.

Each state determines the procedure for electing electors independently. The most common way is to elect electors at state party conferences. This practice is applied in 36 states. In 10 states, electors are elected by state party committees. That is, each party in a given state draws up its own list of electors.

The US Constitution provides for some restrictions on the election of electors. An elector cannot be a member of the executive or legislative branch, cannot be a congressman, cannot hold a position related to the distribution of property. An elector cannot be a person who took part in a rebellion against the United States, or aided or supported the enemies of the United States. This restriction, spelled out in the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, was introduced after the Civil War. Typically, well-known officials in the state, party activists, or simply well-known personalities who maintain a relationship with one of the candidates apply for the electoral office.

There are currently 538 electors in the college. Each state in this college represents as many electors as there are representatives of that state in Congress. Their number is subject to regular review - the representation in Congress from each of the states is adjusted every ten years in accordance with the change in the population of the state.

The most "representative" states are California (53 House of Representatives + 2 Senators = 55 Electors), Texas (36 House of Representatives + 2 Senators = 38 Electors) and New York (27 House of Representatives + 2 Senators = 29 Electors) ...

Residents of the US capital - Washington - have been deprived of the opportunity to participate in elections for a long time. Since 1961 alone, the District of Columbia has been represented by three electors. The rest of the US non-state territories still have no electors. Paradoxically, sparsely populated states, despite the small number of electors, have an advantage over densely populated ones. For example, in California, with its 37.5 million population, there are 55 electors, and in Rhode Island, with its 1 million inhabitants, there are 4 electors. In California, one elector represents 682,000 residents, and in Rhode Island, 250,000. And in desert Wyoming, with a population of less than half a million people and three electors, this figure is 165 thousand people. Thus, the redistribution of the number of electors from the states is realized. Reduced the number of electors from densely populated states and increased the number of electors from states with a small population. In such circumstances, a group of small states can compete with large states.

Hillary Clinton celebrates winning the Nevada primary. The former secretary of state delivered a victory speech at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas after a confident "Victoria" over Bernie Sanders. Behind her is her husband, President Bill Clinton, who is helping his wife campaign.

The electors are elected separately in each of the states, separately by two parties. The candidate who receives more votes in the election than his rivals receives the votes of all electors from the state. That is, the Winner Takes All principle operates. The exceptions are the states of Maine and Nebraska. In these states, the winner unconditionally receives only two electoral votes (corresponding to two senators from the state), with the remaining votes going to the winning candidates in each state polling station. However, in the entire history of elections, all electoral votes in Maine and Nebraska went to one pair "president + vice president" (that is, the results of voting in each constituency coincided with the results of voting for the state as a whole).

In practice, this leads to situations similar to that of Wisconsin in 2004. John Kerry was ahead of George W. Bush by just over 1000 votes (the gap is less than 0.4%, candidates received 1,489,504 and 1,488,140 votes, respectively), but the votes of all 10 electors went to Democratic candidate Kerry, and those who voted for Bush almost one and a half million people remained virtually unheard.

In the 2000 presidential elections in the United States, a paradoxical situation developed: Democrat Al Gore won more votes than Republican George W. The White house the last one drove in. The fate of the presidency was decided in Florida, where Bush won just 537 votes, receiving 25 votes from the Electoral College in that state.

In Florida in 2000, the majority of the Republican votes over the Democrats was only 537 votes. This identified all 27 Florida electors as GOP electors and decided the outcome of the vote for President Bush.

It should be noted that in 1966 an attempt was made through the Supreme Court to change the indicated voting principle, but nothing came of it. The court ruled that any state can exercise its right to distribute electoral votes as it sees fit.

Another paradox is that a leader who does not receive a majority of the votes in all states can be elected president of a country. For example, in 2000, Al Gore was voted for by half a million more voters than for George W. Bush, but George W. Bush became president, since the number of electors who voted for him was more - 271 to 266. Prior to that, the candidate who received the majority of votes in the country, lost in 1824, 1876 and 1888.

Cases in which electors do not vote the way the state dictates are extremely rare and have never been influenced by the outcome of an election. In the entire history of the United States, this has happened 156 times. For example, in 2000, Barbara Lett-Simons, the District of Columbia Democrat elector, abstained from voting in support of her Democrat party leader, Al Gore. Another example: Dr. Lloyd Biley - a Republican elector from North Carolina - refused to vote for his party's candidate, Richard Nixon, in 1968, but voted for the independent candidate Wallace. Long ago, at the dawn of American democracy in 1796, Pennsylvania's elector Samuel Miles, instead of supporting "federalist" John Adams, voted for Republican Thomas Jefferson.

States have the right to govern their electors, and in 24 states improper voting by an elector from these states is punishable by law, although these laws have never been applied in practice. If earlier the electors really played a very important role in the election of the president, now this is only a tribute to tradition, because in fact no one specifically represents the state. There is simply a certain number of electoral votes assigned to each state by the American Central Election Commission. The college does not really exist as a single jointly sitting body: on the same day, the electors of each state gather in the capital of their state and vote (in each state, except for those where electors are appointed proportionally, this vote is unanimous), then their votes are summed up.

To become President of the United States, you must receive the votes of at least 270 members of the Electoral College. In the event that none of the candidates receives this majority, the President is elected by the House of Representatives from among no more than three candidates who receive the majority (this is how Thomas Jefferson was elected, who received an equal number of votes with Aaron Barr in 1800, and John Adams, when no candidate did not receive a majority in 1824, with Adams receiving fewer electoral and popular votes than Andrew Jackson). In the 12th Amendment to the US Constitution, there is a procedure in the event that this does not lead to results. In practice, under a de facto two-party system, all electoral votes have been received by two candidates from the two main parties, the Democratic and the Republican, for more than half a century. Therefore, the winner is the candidate who gets more votes than his only rival.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden celebrate their re-election in 2012.

Thus, the fight in the presidential elections in the United States is being waged not for the support of the majority of voters in the country as a whole, but for victory in individual states. Such a system forces candidates to distribute electoral efforts in favor of “oscillating states,” that is, states where there is no clear winner. In the states, where the positions of the candidate's party or the opponent's party are strong, campaigning is carried out with fewer forces.

Who can become the president of the United States

Under Article 11, Section 1 of the US Constitution, a citizen of that country by birth or a child born outside the United States of American parents can become the President of the United States. The wording “citizen by birth” has caused controversy over time. It is believed to have been incorporated into the Constitution in connection with a letter from 1787 that John Jay, the first head of the country's new Supreme Court, sent to George Washington.

The controversy surrounding Ted Cruz's citizenship has spawned many cartoons. Either he was sent to the prime minister of Canada, or he was called a Cuban-Canadian, or in general they said that he was "born somewhere near the United States."

“Dear sir, let me draw your attention to the fact that it would be prudent to restrict foreigners' access to the leadership of our government. It must be stated openly that only a citizen by birth can be the commander-in-chief of the American armed forces. I remain faithful to you, John Jay, ”the letter said. At the time, George Washington was chairing the US Constitutional Assembly. John Jay's proposal was added to the text of the Constitution without any discussion.

In the 2016 elections, there was even a controversy surrounding this clause of the Constitution. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz was born into a family of Cuban immigrants in the Canadian city of Calgary. Because of this, some critics consider Ted Cruise an "unscrupulous" American. However, at the time of his birth, Cruise's father was already a US citizen, so his son received American citizenship by "right of blood."

More about citizenship. The main document of the United States spelled out a clause that one who received citizenship with the adoption of the Constitution can become president. The fact is that the first seven presidents from Washington to Jackson and the ninth president, William Garrison, did not have US citizenship at birth.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reports on the victory of Barack Obama in the 2012 elections.

A presidential candidate must be at least 35 years old, he must have lived in the United States for 14 years. The Constitution of the United States does not establish any other restrictions - neither gender, nor racial, nor religious - for a candidate for the post of head of state, but historically it happened that forty-three previous American presidents were white men who professed Christianity. And only the 44th US President Barack Obama became the first African American to lead America.

By the way, Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) was the youngest president of the United States - he became president without elections (after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901) when he was 42 years old, 10 months and 18 days old. John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) was the youngest president at the time of his election (43 years 6 months).

The oldest president was Ronald Reagan (1981-1989). At the time of his first inauguration, he was 69 years old, 11 months and 14 days old. If Bernie Sanders wins the race, he will break this record. At the time of the elections in November, he will be 75 years and 2 months old.

Bernie Sanders is already 74 years old, but he invites his voters to test in practice whether he can live to the end of his term as president.

The typical American president most likely served in the army and was most likely an officer. We counted three heads of state who never rose to the rank of officer. These are James Buchanan, as well as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, who did not serve in the military at all.

And some of the former owners of the White House rose to the rank of general's shoulder straps, took part in hostilities. It is also highly likely that the average president of the United States already had administrative experience. Almost all American presidents have served as governors, senators, members of Congress, or vice presidents before being elected to the highest government office.

The President of the United States cannot hold office for more than two terms. This rule for a long time remained a tradition laid down by the first US President George Washington, but after four presidential terms of Franklin Roosevelt, who violated this order, it was legislatively formalized by the 22nd amendment to the Constitution in 1951. If a vice president has served as president for more than two years, then this counts as the first term in office and can only be re-elected once. Otherwise, the vice president can be elected president twice. So, Johnson served as acting president for 14 months in 1963-1965. (after the assassination of Kennedy), was elected in 1965 and ran again (unsuccessfully) in 1969.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt has served four presidential terms in the White House - more than any other US president.

The only person who has held the presidency for two non-consecutive terms is Democrat Grover Cleveland (1885-1889 and 1893-1897).

Since 1804, the President and Vice President of the United States have run in tandem elections. A similar system was introduced in order to avoid the possibility of electing the president and vice president from different parties and exclude the possibility of conflict between them. At the same time, the president and vice president of the United States cannot represent the same state. Vice President is the second most important post in the US executive branch. In the event of the early termination of the powers of the elected president, it is the vice president who will act until the next next presidential election. For example, the deceased Franklin Roosevelt was replaced by Harry Truman, and the deceased John F. Kennedy - by Lyndon Johnson. With the adoption in 1967 of the 25th amendment to the US Constitution, it became possible for an unelected person to become the president of the United States - if the vice president is vacated due to death, resignation, replacement of the presidential post, etc., then a new vice president appoints the US Congress. In the event of an early termination of the powers of the President of the United States, it is this "unelected" Vice President who will take this post. Gerald Ford became the first and so far the only unelected president of the United States in 1974. Shortly before that, he succeeded Vice President-elect Spiro Agnew and became President of the United States thanks to the resignation of Richard Nixon.

The President of the United States can be early dismissed from his post if the lower house of Congress initiates impeachment proceedings, and two-thirds of the members of the upper house approve this decision. Throughout the history of the United States, two presidents were presented for impeachment by the House of Representatives, but later acquitted by the Senate, where the prosecution did not receive the required 2/3 votes: Andrew Johnson in 1868 (the case of the illegal resignation of the Secretary of War) and Bill Clinton in 1998-1999 ... (case of perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with the story of Monica Lewinsky). In 1974, President Richard Nixon, who was also impeached in the Watergate case by the House of Representatives, resigned before the Senate could consider the issue (likely a conviction), allowing his successor, Gerald Ford, to pardon Nixon.

Richard Nixon resigned before being considered by the Senate to avoid being dismissed from the presidency by impeachment.

The first President of the United States, George Washington, was an independent candidate. He is the only one who received 100% of the votes. Since then, under the conditions of the bipartisan system that has developed in the United States, a representative of one of the two main parties (from the middle of the 19th century - Democratic or Republican) won all elections and became president, and only twice (1860 and 1912) the so-called. the third parties managed to take second place. The last time the "third" candidate achieved relatively significant percentage results (although it remained in third place) was in the 1992 election, when Ross Perot won 18.9% of the vote. And this is a big wake-up call for Michael Bloomberg, who is considering diving into the Republican-Democratic struggle this year.

The first presidential elections in the United States took place in 1789. They elected the first President of the United States - George Washington, who received 100% of the votes. Right - Washington's inauguration ceremony.

The state of Ohio gave the most presidents (seven). In second place is New York (six), in third is Virginia (five), followed by Massachusetts (four), Texas, Tennessee and California (three each). From Barack Obama's home state of Illinois, there was one president before that - Abraham Lincoln.

If Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders win the 2016 elections, they will equalize New York and Ohio - both states will have seven presidents. If Hillary Clinton wins, she will become the third in the honorary list of Illinois presidents after Lincoln and Obama.

Despite the fact that in the hands of this person all the fullness of state power of the most powerful power in the world is concentrated, those around him easily turn to him - "Mr. President." This has been the case since the days of the first US President, George Washington, who laid the foundations of American democracy.

First step. Advancing

A couple of centuries ago, each party determined who would represent it in the presidential election, by voting within a faction in Congress, at a party convention, or at a meeting of party leaders. Now the candidates are chosen by the US citizens themselves.

The first stage of the campaign begins one and a half or even two years before the election date. The result of this stage is the selection from the multitude of those wishing to become president of those whose names will appear on the ballots in the general federal elections.

In principle, anyone can take part in the first stage of the election campaign. At the start of the election race, both of the largest parties in the United States hold conventions at which candidates declare their intention to run for president.

At first, Bernie Sanders was considered an extra in the 2016 elections. But now, the 74-year-old grandfather's campaign is capturing the hearts of millions, including young Americans.

Candidates are then reviewed for compliance with federal election law, and one of the main criteria that weeds out potential candidates is the requirement for the amount spent on being elected president prior to filing an application for registration. It is only 5 thousand dollars. Applicants are required to register within 15 days after their expenses exceed $ 5,000. The amount is small, and does not allow to gain many supporters, and without adherents it is strange to enter the race.

In some states, the Republican and Democratic parties are joining together to prevent third-party candidates from registering. In other states, local legislatures ensure that all candidates have access to vote.

Usually, several hundred people are registered as candidates for the presidency, in history there have been cases when not only people ran for the presidency. This presidential race is no exception.

One of the candidates registered is the cat Limberbutt McCubbins, the Democratic nominee. His biography indicates that he was born in Louisville, Kentucky, homeless, and the main point of his program is the right of animals to medical care on an equal basis with humans. True, the question arises, what about 35 years old, but maybe in "cat" years?

Another unusual candidate is Crawfish B. Crowfish, whose campaign began on Facebook with the slogan "Can this cancer get more votes than Bobby Jindal?" And yes, he is also registered with the Federal Election Commission. The candidate's election website indicates that he is a red-shell American who was born and raised in one of the straits of Louisiana, and cooking is indicated as a hobby, with a note that he himself is not cooked, and the TV series "Game of Thrones".

There are always enough strange candidates in the US presidential elections. And often it's not just people.

Although in 1980, gorilla Colossus was never able to participate in the primaries in New Hampshire as a Republican candidate, and even a litigation in which gorilla advocates tried to prove that the Constitution does not specify that a candidate must be a person did not help ... Let's talk about more "humane" candidates.

In this campaign, the Democrats had 21 candidates, 4 of whom refused to participate even in the primaries, another 11 applied to participate in the preliminary race in at least one state, but these states have not yet held primaries. Three more announced their withdrawal from the race after the first primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire. And two favorites - Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, between whom the main struggle is unfolding in the democratic ranks.

Five candidates got to the first primaries of the Democrats. After Iowa, only two remained from this five - Hillary and Bernie.

The Republicans, who "took" the Upper House in the previous elections of the Congress, the struggle developed even more fiercely. 22 candidates were nominated. 8 of them withdrew before the first primaries, 9 more refused to participate in the race after the primaries in New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina. Now there are 5 candidates "at a distance", and the odious billionaire Donald Trump, Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are considered the favorites.

Although there are now five “elephants” left, 14 were approaching the primaries. The first three votes eliminated the “superfluous” ones, and Donald Trump is in the lead.

The main contenders for the final victory in the elections

Hillary Clinton

Democratic Party

Education: In 1969, she received her BA from Wellesley College and entered Yale Law School. In 1973 she received her Doctor of Laws degree.

Biography: Hillary Clinton is known primarily thanks to her husband, 42nd US President Bill Clinton, whom she married back in 1975. But this is far from her only merit - she is the first first lady in the history of the United States to take over as Senator and Secretary of State.

In the White House, Clinton spent 8 years - from 1993 to 2001, in the first year she headed the headquarters for health care reform, but in 1994 she resigned due to the failure of the reform. In 2001, she became the US Senator from New York, and in 2006 she was re-elected. Clinton made an attempt to take the presidency back in 2007. Then she competed in the primaries with Barack Obama, who became the single candidate, and then the 44th president of the United States.

In 2009, Obama offered Clinton the post of US Secretary of State. In this position, she declared the need for the United States to develop a strategy to combat Islamic extremism, similar to the one that the United States had for communism.

When Clinton announced plans to try her hand at the presidency again in the spring of 2015, a scandal arose in the press and an investigation was launched against her. It turned out that she used personal e-mail for business correspondence as Secretary of State. US intelligence agencies fear that in this way Clinton has created a threat of leakage of classified data.

Program: The main idea of ​​Clinton's program echoes the points of Obama's program - overcoming discrimination in the United States, no difference between citizens by skin color, orientation, and so on.

The issue of taxation in the Clinton program is one of the key ones. She suggests lowering taxes for families with children in college by $ 2,500 per student, and a 15% tax cut for businesses that share profits with their employees. It promises to expand access to capital and tax breaks for small businesses. She also plans to spend $ 350 billion on higher education for Americans so that they can get it for free, as well as restructure overdue student loans. In addition, Clinton intends to intervene in Wall Street and force the stock market to start planning for the long term, and to decouple the economy from the quarterly downturns in the stock exchange.

Socially, one of Hillary's main themes is, of course, women's rights. And she has launched an entire campaign against sexual violence on college campuses and promises to continue Obama's efforts in this direction. Also in its program can be highlighted the reform of the penitentiary system, which provides for a review of the minimum sentences, as well as the crimes for which they are sentenced, racial profiling and the use of cameras in police work to increase trust between the police and the community. Reconsidering the severity of marijuana sentences: it supports the use of marijuana in medicinal purposes and will fight to get her off the list of dangerous drugs. She advocates a move away from the practice of private prisons.

Bernie Sanders

Democratic Party

Education: Bernie studied psychology at Brooklyn College for a year, then transferred to the University of Chicago, graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Biography: For a long time, Sanders was an "independent candidate" and his adherence to socialist views is widely known. While still in college in Chicago, he became a member of the Socialist Party of America, which ceased to exist in 1979. As a student, he joined the civil rights movement in 1963, becoming a student organizer of the Student Nonviolent Action Coordinating Committee. Sanders' political career began in 1971 when he joined the Vermont Freedom Union, a socialist, non-violent anti-Vietnam War party affiliated with the national People's Party. As her nominee, he lost several elections, including for the US Senate in 1972 and 1974, and for Governor of Vermont in 1972, 1976 and 1979.

His first election for mayor of Burlington - the largest city in Vermont - he won by a margin of only 14 votes from a candidate who had previously been re-elected as mayor 6 times. There, supporters of Sanders founded the Vermont Progressive Party, which is committed to socialist views. In 1990, Sanders won elections to the House of Representatives. Since January 3, 2007 he is the Senator from the State of Vermont.

Program: The motto of his election campaign can be considered the phrase: "None of those who work 40 hours a week should not live in poverty." Its main theme is the struggle with the rich. He proposes to establish a special tax for all who inherit property worth more than $ 3.5 million, and raise the minimum wage from $ 7.25 / hour to $ 15 / hour. Sanders pledges to invest $ 1 trillion in rebuilding US roads, bridges and infrastructure, creating 13 million jobs. She advocates the closure of preferential programs for cooperation between American business and Chinese production, which led to a decrease in the number of jobs in the United States itself. In its program, a separate line indicates free higher education in public colleges and universities, as well as the termination of federal programs lending to higher education, which is expected to generate $ 110 billion over the next 10 years. Sanders calls such programs immoral. But he proposes to compensate for all this with a tax on operations on Wall Street, it is expected that such a tax will bring the treasury $ 75 billion a year.There is also a struggle for the rights of women and LGBT people, including for equal salaries, equal access to medicine. , caring for veterans and reducing the price of prescription drugs.

Donald Trump

Republican Party

Education: Graduated from New York Military Academy, followed by Wharton in 1968 with a BS in economics and a specialization in finance.

Biography: Trump made his fortune by successfully developing his father's business. He was engaged in the construction of real estate for the middle class. Trump's first successful project was the modernization of a residential building with 1,200 apartments.

The entrepreneur was not always accompanied by success; in 1989, he had financial debts, which he dealt with for almost 10 years. The bankruptcy of the business forced him to transfer large shares of hotels and casinos to the ownership of creditors, which saved Trump's personal fortune. The restoration of Trump's empire took place in 1997-2007, in 2000 he even tried to participate in the presidential race and won the primaries in Michigan and California. At the time, he named Oprah Winfrey his vice president. The 2008 financial crisis again put Trump on the brink of bankruptcy, but he filed a lawsuit in court about his damaged reputation, where he indicated that the crisis was force majeure, as mentioned in the corresponding clause of the agreement he signed. Trump has owned the rights to host the Miss Universe pageant since 1996.

Program: Trump's campaign slogan: Make America Great Again! "The first point of the program is to reform industrial relations between the US and China in order to protect jobs for Americans. Trump first and foremost insists on the need to" make China respect patent and copyright ", as well as the termination of export subsidies and the strengthening of the US's position in negotiations with the Celestial Empire. Trump promises to abolish the income tax for single citizens with an income of up to $ 25,000 and couples with a total income of up to $ 50,000. The rest of the Americans will receive 4 instead of the current 7 tax rates: 0%, 10%, 20% and 25% Tax on any commercial activity will not exceed 15%.

Trump also intends to reform the veteran support system, reduce bureaucratic procedures for obtaining assistance and develop a system of psychological rehabilitation. Trump stands for the inviolability of the right of US citizens to bear arms, he intends to reverse all steps that have been taken to limit this right. The cause of all the troubles associated with firearms, he considers insufficient attention to the psychological health of Americans, and in this way he intends to reduce the threat of the use of weapons - to increase the number of psychological assistance centers.

The most heated debate is caused by Trump's position on immigration policy. Firstly, he intends to build a wall on the border with Mexico, and secondly, he is sure that immigration legislation should be tightened in such a way that the influx of immigrants would increase the number of American jobs, and not create unemployment. Trump intends to deport all immigrant criminals to the country from which they came, as well as illegal immigrants. The increase in fines for overdue visas and a whole host of rules that make the US migration policy stricter and more closed.

Marco Rubio

Republican Party

Education: He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Florida in 1993 and later an associate JD from the University of Miami Law School.

Biography: Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants who left the island in 1959. He was the star of the high school soccer team, which earned him a college ticket. According to Rubio himself, his education cost him $ 100,000 in a loan that he paid off only in 2012.

In 1998 he was elected to the city government of West Miami, in 1999 - to the Florida House of Representatives. In 2003-2006 he was the leader of the majority in the House, in 2006-2008 - the speaker. In 2010, he won the US Senate elections and has served as Senator from Florida since January 3, 2011. During the 2012 campaign, Republican nominee Mitt Romney considered Rubio as a candidate for the vice-presidency.

Program: Rubio's campaign motto is "America's New Age". During the election race, Rubio significantly toughened his position on illegal migrants, because back in 2013 he was working on a bill that would legalize all illegal immigrants in the United States.

Rubio based his campaign on criticism of such moves by the Obama administration as health care reform, Iran's nuclear program and the resumption of diplomatic relations with Cuba. He considers all this to be wrong and intends to change the policy in these directions. Farmers have become the main economic factor for Rubio, he intends to weaken the legislative regulation of the activities of farmers, especially in terms of environmental laws, the use of water bodies and the development of new lands for agriculture. Rubio also wants to simplify tax legislation by making only three tax rates - 15% for income up to $ 75 thousand for one or $ 150 thousand for a family, 25% - from $ 75 to 150 thousand (from 150 to 300 thousand dollars for a family) and 35% for everyone else. For businesses, Rubio proposes a 25% tax rate and zero capital gains and dividend taxes.

In addition, to strengthen the family, he proposes to allocate preferential loans for the birth of a child at $ 2.5 thousand, and to impose a fine on divorce, which, however, would not harm the household.

Chopper is opposed to restrictions on gun owners and promises to continue to fight for their fundamental right.

Regarding the issue of the retirement age, Rubio intends to raise it, but prohibit any reductions for workers approaching retirement, and his program also involves reducing social protection for high-income pensioners and increasing it for low-income pensioners. For Americans over 65 who continue to work, Rubio promises tax exemption.

Ted cruise

There are a number of candidates from small parties, and even independent candidates. For example, the controversial pastor Terry Jones from Florida, known for burning the Koran and conflict with Muslims. However, such candidates have no chance of being elected. After registering, candidates begin an official campaign. At this stage, the main battle takes place between candidates from the same political party... Among both Democrats and Republicans, several people always appear at once, ready to compete for the title of president. By mid-summer, each party should have only one presidential candidate and one vice-president.

Second phase. Primary elections

Primary elections help identify a single candidate for each party. The primary goal of this primary is to elect delegates to the national party convention, which takes place in the summer, at which state delegates select one party presidential candidate from a list of contenders. The Democratic and Republican parties have equal rights to choose the delegates participating in the national convention of their party. Each state is represented at its party convention by delegates in proportion to its population. The single candidate for the US presidency from the party is the person who received two-thirds of the votes of the delegates to the congress. State delegates to the national convention are selected in two ways: in the state primaries and at the state caucus.

This is always a big event, regardless of the country in which they take place. At these turning points, the fates of millions and sometimes billions of people are being decided. When presidential elections are held in such a huge and powerful state as the United States, or, for example, in our country, in Russia, this is an event for the entire globe, because major powers set the trend for all other countries and decide geopolitics around the world. This is probably why even people far from politics are beginning to follow the course of events.

This article is devoted to the future. The reader will learn about their similarities and differences with a similar process in our state. In addition, we will describe how the US electoral system works and indicate its pros and cons.

Basic principles of the device

So how does the US electoral system work? Power in the United States of America is divided into three branches:

• legislative;
• judicial;
• executive.

In this, their system is similar to ours. Representatives of the legislative and executive branches are elected by voting, and in the judiciary they can also be appointed (depending on the laws of a particular state).

The US Congress is the main legislative body, it is divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate. The first includes 435 members who are elected for a 2-year term. The Senate is elected by 2 people from each state for 6 years.

The US electoral system briefly looks like this - the president, as well as the vice president, is elected, while the votes of the population are taken into account. The size of the college is equal to the number of representatives in Congress, excluding the District of Columbia. She has no congressmen, but she has three electoral votes. In total, the number of members of the collegium is 538. The US electoral system will be presented in more detail below.

A bit of history

The first presidential ones were held in 1789. At that time, George Washington was the leader and in fact was elected unanimously. He was a very powerful political figure and enjoyed immense popularity among the electorate. At that time, only 10 states participated in the elections.

The electoral system of the President of the United States is strictly regulated by the first and second articles of the US Constitution. In addition, there are a number of regulations aimed at improving the process. As a result, the US electoral system includes the following laws:

1. From 1965, which allows all ethnic groups to vote without exception.
2. 1984 on the creation of equipped venues for voters with disabilities.
3. A law passed in 1993 related to the registration of voters.

In addition to the above, there are a number of measures aimed at combating fraudulent activities and various falsifications.

If you do not go into details, chapters and amendments, then only two persons are elected on a federal basis (when residents of the whole country vote) - these are the president and the vice president. However, due to the national characteristics of the government system, elections are not held directly, but in two stages, with the help of an electoral college.

The college was created in 1787, its essence is that in each state special representatives are elected, who, in turn, elect the president. The very essence of creating such an association is a little absurd, but at the same time it is the norm for its time. The college was created to prevent voters from voting for candidates who are openly dangerous to the integrity of the United States, for example, various radicals and extremists. And although the idea itself is a bit contrary to democracy, the system has been functioning properly for more than two hundred years.

Voter rights

The United States has the strictest voter registration system. Only those voters who have registered at the polling stations participate in the elections. Due to the peculiarity of the system, many voters are deprived of their right to vote, for example, due to a change of residence or due to non-attendance. At the same time, an extremely small number of potential voters are able to return the opportunity to vote.

In addition, in some states there is a tendency a large number youth not included in the voter lists, but it is impossible to give exact numbers here, since there is no centralized system of population registration.

Requirements for electors

As a rule, it is famous people who can be trusted to represent the interests of the state. In general, electors and primaries are peculiarities of the US electoral system. Often there are politicians, human rights defenders and other trusted people among them.

The number of electors is equal to the number of representatives of the Congress of a given state. The logic is simple - the larger the population, the more officials with the help of whom the US electoral system functions. The scheme with the number of officials here is similar to any large state. In some states, electors are appointed by party leaders (Republican and Democratic), and in some, direct elections are used by voting.

Requirements for a presidential candidate

As in most countries, the key criterion is the citizenship of the presidential candidate, in addition, he must be born in the United States. The minimum age for a nominee must be 35 years, and this person must live in America for more than 14 years.

A candidate cannot be president more than twice. A standard set of requirements, the same is practiced in our country and in many other countries.

Election scheme

Based on the actions described above, it is possible to draw up a kind of election algorithm and how the presidential electoral system works in the United States. Here is a rough sequence of work:

1. The process of selecting electors is under way.
2. Those with the majority of votes wins.
3. Electors vote for a specific presidential candidate.
4. The results are sent to the US Congress.
5. The session of the chambers of the Congress counts the votes.
6. The winner with the most votes wins.

US electoral system: leading parties

Republicans and Democrats are two of the strongest and oldest parties in the United States. What is the difference between them?

The Democrats are a socially oriented party. Their motto is support for the poorer strata of the population, various benefits for the unemployed, free medicine, and the prohibition of the death penalty. In general, the policy of this party is more liberal, this is expressed in various progressive laws, indulgences and budgeting.

Republicans are more conservative. They adhere to stricter views regarding government, and this is reflected in many factors. For example, a more rational distribution of budgetary funds, a stake on patriotism and strength, protection of the middle class and business.

There are other parties, but they do not have such in cash, nor such support as the two above. It is very difficult for their candidates to get into Congress and somehow promote their interests. The same applies to the presidential elections - no one will simply notice the nominees from such parties.

Primaries

These are, in fact, the primary elections. Each party has its own vote, which decides who will be the only presidential candidate. This determines how the US electoral system works. In short, there are 2 types of primaries - closed and open.

In the first case, only members of the parties in which the candidate is selected vote, and in the second, everyone can vote. Interesting feature the American system is that there are no main branches of parties with a single leadership. Instead, each state has its own Democrats and Republicans.

The current state of affairs

It is now 2016, which means that the 58th US presidential election is just around the corner. The specific date of the elections is November 8th. At the moment, there are two Democratic presidential candidates - Hillary Clinton, who served as secretary of state, and Bernard Sanders, who is a senator of one of the states. Their opponent is Republican Donald Trump, a billionaire with a very aggressive advertising campaign.

Hillary Clinton is a strong Democratic candidate. She has extensive experience in political and administrative activities. She is known not only for being married to the 42nd President of the United States of America, but also for her career as a Senator (New York State) and as Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013.

Hillary Clinton's election campaign represents quite strong promises for the US economy. This will translate into an increase salaries for the middle class, in addition, this is an increase in the minimum wage, as well as budgeting of the social sphere.

Bernard Sanders is the second strongest Democratic candidate. He was born in 1941, and political career began in 1972, in an attempt to take the place of governor of Vermont (he lost this election). Further, until 1981 he was pursued by a series of failures, but Sanders did take over as mayor of Burlington. He was elected to this post three times and later tried to break into Congress as an independent candidate. In 1990 he did it. Then he became a congressman for a long time, and then took the post of senator from the state of Vermont.

The electoral program of this candidate is very interesting. Sanders is a favorite of US youth. He is considered one of the most honest presidential candidates. The essence of his program is to increase social equality in the United States of America by creating a more affordable health insurance system, strengthening supervision of the financial sector, helping those in need, and making higher education available.

Donald Trump is the strongest Republican. He was a widely public figure even before the start of the election race. He is known as a successful billionaire businessman and also as a media person. He speaks frequently to media representatives, owns a large construction company, a chain of hotels and casinos, in addition, Trump has written several books on business.

Powerful election program Donald Trump is designed for the conservative part of the US population. He is a fierce opponent of migrants and promises to fight illegal citizens from Mexico and other countries. Like other candidates, he has ideas related to health care reform. In his case, the essence of the reform is to reduce the cost of insurance both for the state and for the citizens themselves. In addition, he advocates supporting business, stimulating the economy and his views on foreign policy.

Cons of the US electoral system

No matter how deserved the US electoral system is, criticism notes some disadvantages in it. The most obvious one is that the Democratic and Republican parties are funded from the budget. At the same time, other political associations do not have such an opportunity, since they must gain at least 5% of the votes in the previous elections. It turns out a vicious circle. Can also be used and classic schemes falsifications, for example, the semblance of stuffing. That is, when the voting processes are serviced by private companies, they can easily be bribed by opponents.

There is also a very bad scheme in the country that determines how the entire US electoral system works. In the 19th century, a technology such as gerrymandering was first used. This is a redrawing of electoral districts, which allows you to identify potential voters by territorial or ethnicity, for example, so that residents of certain provinces will vote for a particular candidate due to personal preferences (ethnic, political, in connection with certain promises).

pros

Nevertheless, the US electoral system, the scheme of which is presented in the article, has its own merits. Still, the geography of constituencies can be a plus. The electoral law and electoral system of the United States is designed in such a way that if the majority of participants in the election mechanism follow all the rules, then this will allow the most accurate selection of the favorite voters, while taking into account the wishes of both small rural areas and residents of the largest cities in the United States, even though on fundamental differences in the interests of these categories of citizens.

Our system

The electoral system of the United States and Russia has similarities, firstly, in that in both cases the decision is made by the majority. A democratic approach is a key similarity between the two states.

Secondly, both in the United States and in our country, the electoral system is based on the constitution. However, this principle works in all developed countries, but it is especially appreciated in these two superpowers. In our state, any citizen who has reached the age of 18 has the right to vote.

The electoral system in our country is understood as the election of deputies to the State Duma, the President, some other federal bodies, in addition, the election methods used in the above bodies are also used at the time of voting for positions in regional and municipalities.

One presidential term in our state is equal to six years. The minimum age of the president is 35 years, in addition, he must have lived in the country for at least 10 years. At least 100 people nominate a candidate for the association, moreover, their responsibilities include collecting 1 million signatures.

The elections are called by the Federation Council. The process is carried out on time (no earlier than 100 days and no later than 90 before the day of the event). Election day is legally appointed on the second Sunday of the month in which the previous elections were held. Potential presidents are nominated either from parties or independently. Later, the Central Election Commission registers candidates who meet the necessary requirements, including support the required amount voters.

Voting is carried out in specially equipped polling stations, under the strict control of the public (for this, many different normative legal acts were adopted, legislation is being improved to this day). People who come to the polls must mark the desired candidate in the ballot paper and place the latter in a special sealed ballot box.

The counting of votes is carried out in several stages, starting from the place of voting and through the territorial and regional bodies reaches the CEC. The Central Election Commission is obliged to announce the results 10 days after the voting.

Key differences from America

The most important thing is the absence of an electoral college or similar bodies that can in one way or another influence the course of voting. Therefore, our elections are much more democratic than in the United States of America. Despite the strict control of power and law in both countries, it is not customary in Russia to trust the fate of voting to a small number of people, as in the United States.

Yes, elections are a strong bureaucracy, potential violations and various levers in relation to voters, but both states do everything possible to prevent any violations and improve their laws. In addition, here and there, various public associations are being created to control the course of the elections.

With elected representatives at the federal (national), state and local levels. Elections and preparations for them are a pivotal event and a constant event in the political life of American society. There are over 18,000 elected positions ranging from the President of the United States to the sheriff of a small rural community. Federal elections are held across the country simultaneously in November of every even-numbered year.

Presidential elections

The President and Vice President of the United States are elected together in an election held every 4 years. The elections are indirect: the winner is determined by the Electoral College, voters in each state choose one of the electoral lists designated by any candidate. Electors usually promise in advance to vote for a candidate from their party (and it is the names of these candidates that appear on the ballots, not the names of individual electors). The candidate who receives at least 270 votes from the Electoral College wins the vote. Due to indirect voting, it is possible (and has happened) a situation where a candidate who received the majority of the electoral votes would nevertheless lose if the votes of individuals at the national level were taken into account. Prior to the adoption of the Twelfth Amendment to the US Constitution in 1804, the runner-up in this election became vice president.

US Presidential Election

Presidential elections in the United States are held on a winner-take-all basis. The country is known to consist of 50 states. Each state, in proportion to the number of voters, gives "electoral votes." The more voters in the state, the more votes. Once upon a time these were the so-called electors. Now this name is just a tribute to tradition, no one specifically represents the state. There is simply a certain number of electoral votes assigned to each state by the American Central Election Commission. Moreover, with a change in the demographic situation, the number of electoral votes changes. More residents - more votes. For example, California in 2000 gave 54 electoral votes, and in 2004 already 55; the notorious Florida in 2000 gave 25 votes, and this year it has already 27. In total, all the states in the country give 538 electoral votes. To win, you need to get a simple majority of the electoral votes.

Now let's figure out what the winner-take-all rule means. Take California, for example. As a result of voting, one of the candidates recruits more than any other candidate within the state. So, in 2000, 5.8 million people, or 53.45%, voted for Al Gore in California. For Bush - 4.5 million or 41.65%. Thus, Gore gained a majority within the state of California and received all 54 California electoral votes. In Florida, Gore got 2,912,253 votes and Bush 2,912,790. That 500-vote difference earned Bush his victory in the state. As a result, George W. Bush received all 25 Florida electoral votes.

The total score for the 2000 elections was:

• Gore - 266 electoral votes
• Bush - 271 electoral votes

Almost any small state with 2-3 votes could make a difference.

Such an election system forces candidates not only to campaign the entire population of America, but to analyze the situation in each state to determine whether it is possible to gain a majority in this state and get all the state's electoral votes, or it makes sense to redirect resources to states where the chances of gaining a majority are significantly higher. ... This year's presidential campaign is significant, first of all, because the candidates are waging a serious war in the states where their chances are almost equal. And often these are sparsely populated states, giving only 5-7 electoral votes.

Research Department of the International Institute for Political Expertise (IIPE)

Criticism

The US electoral system has long been criticized. First, it is viewed by some as undemocratic because while there is a marked correlation between individual voting and election outcomes, it is ultimately determined by the Electoral College.

Secondly, it leads to inequality of voters in different states. But it makes it possible to take into account the interests of less populated states. For many states, it may be known in advance which candidate they will vote for, so politicians, concentrating on the rest of the states (eng. swing states). There are at least 3 electors from each state, so the most sparsely populated of them end up with more representation based on the number of electoral votes per electoral constituency. For example, Wyoming has a population of 493,782 and 3 electors, that is, 164,594 people per elector. A similar figure for California is 33,871,648 people, 55 electors and 615,848 people per elector.

The elimination of the Electoral College and the transition to direct voting would lead to the impossibility of a situation where the winner of the vote receives fewer votes than the loser. The last time this happened was in 2012. Also, the College, in fact, discriminates against candidates who do not have strong support in any of the states. So, in 1992, Ross Perot received a very noticeable 18.9% of the votes of ordinary voters, but not a single vote in the College.

It should be noted that the elimination of the Electoral College would definitely lead to another bias, namely, to ignore the interests of states that are not so densely populated as California, Texas, New York, because then it is enough to win the votes of such states and this will be enough to lead the White House.

Changing the electoral system requires the abolition of the constitutional amendment. However, it is believed that this will not happen, since 3/4 of the votes are required, and the change will lead to a shift in focus from a large number of sparsely populated states to a few densely populated ones.

U.S. congressional elections

The US Congress consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives, elected by direct suffrage, and the Senate, to which 2 representatives from each state are directly elected. There are 435 seats in the House of Representatives, which are distributed by states depending on their population. Members of the House of Representatives are elected for two years.

The Senate has 100 members, two from each state, elected for a term of 6 years. Initially, senators were elected by members of the state legislatures, but since 1913, after the 17th amendment to the Constitution came into force, the election of senators became direct. They are held concurrently with elections to the House of Representatives, with 1/3 of the Senate being re-elected every two years. Senate Constituency - Statewide.

The Constitution (together with the amendments) guarantees voting rights to all US citizens who have reached the age of 18. The presidential elections are of the greatest interest on the part of voters. If elections to congress and state governors do not take place at the same time as presidential elections, then interest in them and, accordingly, voter participation falls by an average of 14 percent.

In the United States, there is a majoritarian electoral system, when a candidate who receives a relative majority of votes in a single-member constituency is considered the winner. This provides the preconditions for the development of a bipartisan system.

Notes (edit)

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what the "US electoral system" is in other dictionaries:

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The United States is governed by the federal government, with elected representatives at the federal (national), state, and local levels. Presidential Election The President and Vice President of the United States are elected together in an election held once every ... Wikipedia

The style of this article is unencyclopedic or violates the norms of the Russian language. The article should be corrected according to the stylistic rules of Wikipedia ... Wikipedia

1) the procedure for the formation of elective (primarily representative) bodies of the state (for example, in the USSR Soviets of Working People's Deputies (see Soviets of Working People's Deputies)). I. s. an important element of the political system of the state, it ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Majority electoral system is a system of elections to a collegial body (parliament), in which candidates who receive the majority of votes in the constituency where they run are considered elected. Contents 1 ... ... Wikipedia

Majority electoral system- (Latin majority, larger from major; English majority electoral system) in constitutional law, an electoral system in which candidates are considered elected who have received the majority of votes provided by law to elect ... Encyclopedia of Law

MAJORITY ELECTORAL SYSTEM- (from the French majoritee majority) an electoral system in which candidates are considered elected who have received the majority of votes in the constituency where they are running. Distinguish M.i.s. absolute majority, M.i.s. ... ... Legal encyclopedia

This system in the United States was formed at the end of the 18th century and still exists. This so-called "electoral college" was planned by the Founding Fathers of the United States, it is provided for by the American constitution, in which all this is spelled out.

Americans tend not to change their constitution, so this electoral college, although it seems too patriarchal and already outdated, still exists.

Who are the electors? These are people who have a certain experience, authority, whom the residents of the state trust to represent their interests and solve important issues. In particular, the question of the election of the president. And when we find out the results of the voting in November everyone leap year, in fact, we do not know the name of the winner, but the opinion of the electors regarding the future winner. And usually everyone already knows the name of the leader, because everyone knows for whom certain electors will vote.

The total number of electors is 538. They are determined from the states. The quota from each state is the number of seats in the House of Representatives and in the Senate, which is added up. Each state has a different number of these locations. And in accordance with this number of seats in the American Congress, the number of electors from this state is calculated.

The Electoral College meets on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December after the presidential election. This is all spelled out in the constitution. There is no general meeting of electors in this number of 538 people. They meet in groups in each state and formally vote for certain candidates.

Then a protocol (or certificate) is drawn up, and this official paper is sent to Washington to the American Congress. Then a special commission sums it all up, and an official decision is made as to how the electors voted. (But I repeat once again that this voting of the electors is, as it were, predetermined in advance, because everyone knows for whom this or that elector will vote).

In order to win the presidential elections, it is necessary to gain 270 electoral votes.

And then, in January, both houses of Congress meet, the votes are counted, and the total is announced. That is, the election results are officially announced only in January, although in November the Americans already know who was elected.

Who becomes the elector? These are the most authoritative people from each state. In each state, party conventions are either held within the boundaries of the state, and electors are determined at them. Or in other states the issue is being resolved more "narrowly" - the party leadership determines the electors.

What are the categories of electors? As a rule, who is chosen? These are not ordinary citizens, they must be famous for something. Either senators, or congressmen, or some well-known media person from the state become electors. These may be people close to the presidential candidate who know him well and recommend him.

In the United States, the president and vice president are not directly elected, but an Electoral College is used instead. Similar systems of indirect elections can be observed in a number of other countries - Finland, India and France (until 1958).

The Electoral College, approved on September 6, 1787, was reflected in the 12th Amendment to the United States Constitution and was conceived by the Founding Fathers as a compromise between elections by Congress or by the US population.

The idea of ​​direct voting was abandoned on the grounds that citizens would vote for a native of their home state due to lack of information about other candidates. There was also the problem of property, educational qualifications, permanent resettlement (the problem of settled residence), the electoral rights of certain groups of citizens and access to polling stations.

The job of the electors is to elect the president and vice president of the United States every four years. National vote in the states takes place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, and only then, in mid-December, the president and vice president are elected by a limited number of voters, namely by representatives of the Electoral College. That is, when voters vote for a certain candidate, they do not elect the president, but show the electors of their state who they want to vote for.

As a result, the future of the United States is decided by 538 electors, and the required number of votes to win the election is 270. The number of electors usually includes politicians, congressmen and senators, as well as persons close to the candidate. Each state represents a certain number of electors: 2 senators plus state representatives in the lower house of Parliament. Each time, 2 lists of electors are drawn up - from the Democratic Party and from the Republican. The final list is provided by the party whose candidate won in that state.

All states except Maine and Nebraska have a winner-take-all principle. That is, in fact, the one who gets the majority of votes becomes the president. However, it happened that an elector did not vote for the candidate the voters chose, such as are called faithless electors or unscrupulous electors. However, this is not prohibited by law, and the only thing that threatened such electors was punishment from the party. If a candidate does not get 270 votes, then Congress will appoint the president.

Supporters of this system argue that it most accurately reflects one of the main principles of US statehood - federalism. Each subject is represented in proportion to the population that lives in it and directly determines its candidate. Representation of citizens is also increased, as the simple majority system forces the candidate to compete for every vote. It is also easier to investigate fraud under such a system, since verification and recounts occur by state rather than at the federal level.

It should be noted that the electoral system has been criticized more than once due to the disproportionate influence of small states and concentration on the states, with big amount electors. Also, the candidate who receives the majority of votes in the country may lose the election. This happened in 2000, when Bush won the election, receiving the majority of the electoral votes, although the majority of the population voted for Al Gore. This is not the first such case, such was the election in 1824 (John Quincy Adams), 1876 (Rutherford Hayes) and 1888 (Benjamin Garrison).