5.8  Electing a President

The impact of federal policies on campaigning and electoral rules continues to be contested by both sides of the political spectrum. 

Explain how the different processes work in a U.S. presidential election.

 he process and outcomes in U.S. presidential elections are impacted by: 

Incumbency advantage phenomenon 

Open and closed primaries 

Caucuses 

Party conventions

General (presidential) elections 

The Electoral College 

Explain how the Electoral College facilitates and/or impedes democracy. 

The winner-take-all allocation of votes per state (except Maine and Nebraska) under the setup of the Electoral College compared with the national popular vote for president raises questions about whether the Electoral College facilitates or impedes democracy