Compare the U.S. electoral system to European proportional representation systems and address how ...

(Ans. #1)

Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Describe the factors that have shaped the U.S. electoral system.
2. Explain how the U.S. electoral system differs from that of most European democracies, focusing on winner-take-all versus proportional representation, the effects of party machines, progressive reforms, and campaign financing of U.S. candidates.
3. Assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of each system.

(Ans. #2)

Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Describe how minor parties seldom win elections but nonetheless make important contributions to the political process by revealing sectional and political divides and bringing to light new issues and neglected causes.
2. Explain barriers that have prevented minor parties from becoming major parties: the winner-take-all system, the Electoral College system, and the rules for public financing of presidential campaigns.
3. Analyze the pros and cons of voting for a minor-party candidate and assess whether such votes are wasted.

(Ans. #3)

Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Provide an outline of the various phases of political party development in the United States: the development of political parties (18001824), Jacksonian Democracy, the Golden Age, and the modern era.
2. Describe various coalition shifts and the events that precipitated party formations.
3. Recall how the Framers warned of the dangers that parties presented and how parties soon developed despite this warning.

Perfect on my quiz, so smart <3