Midterm Elections
Hello everybody! Here’s Charlie and today I’m going to talk about American politics, specifically the “midterm elections”. The outcome was a tie because it still has to be seen what will happen in Georgia, on the sixth of December: that will be the most important result for both parties. Yeah, I know, it sounds so dull, lots of Italian broadcasts haven’t talked about it, so… let me explain them to you.
For me, it’s essential to know a bit about foreign policy, especially when it comes to such an important country as the United States of America. I’m not going to talk about the 2022 midterm election, but I’m going to focus on all the mechanisms that make American democracy so far away from ours.
For me, it’s essential to know a bit about foreign policy, especially when it comes to such an important country as the United States of America. I’m not going to talk about the 2022 midterm election, but I’m going to focus on all the mechanisms that make American democracy so far away from ours.
Let’s start with the very first thing: how does the political system work? Well, it could be summed up as “majority doesn’t win”. “What does it mean?”. Don’t worry, I’m here to answer all your questions. The political system of the States relies on three fundamental principles: republic, representative democracy -i.e. citizens vote directly for their representatives- and federalism -States led by only one person, but which are independent when it comes to some types of laws-. The power is divided between the President of the US, the Congress and Federal judicial courts. The federal government shares the political sovereignty with the government of every single State that makes up the States. The constitution defines every aspect.
The most difficult part is that American electors in every kind of election express a preference for a specific candidate that represents one of the two parties: Democratic and Republican. As I said before, the electoral system is indirect: the President isn’t directly elected by citizens but by 538 “Great Electors” who are the deputies and senators of each State. The President of the United States is chosen by the electors just indirectly since they participate in presidential elections voting the components of a constituency. Citizens vote for a candidate who is related to a group of Great Electors, and votes are counted for each State, not in total like in other democracies: this system is called “winner takes all”, the candidate who has the most of the votes takes every Great Elector of the State. The Presidential candidate who is elected by at least 270 Great Electors goes to the White House, and Great Electors should, theoretically, vote for the candidate they are related with. Meanwhile, the number of representatives in the upper Deputies Chamber changes with the increase or decrease of the population. So, there isn’t a general majority, but a State-level majority.
It’s important to point out another significant difference between other democracies and American democracy: in every election, some States are chosen to be “key states”: the number of Great Electors changes every time, and so the States that are the candidates’ target. In these elections, key states have been: Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada, where the Democratic party has got the majority of the votes.
The most difficult part is that American electors in every kind of election express a preference for a specific candidate that represents one of the two parties: Democratic and Republican. As I said before, the electoral system is indirect: the President isn’t directly elected by citizens but by 538 “Great Electors” who are the deputies and senators of each State. The President of the United States is chosen by the electors just indirectly since they participate in presidential elections voting the components of a constituency. Citizens vote for a candidate who is related to a group of Great Electors, and votes are counted for each State, not in total like in other democracies: this system is called “winner takes all”, the candidate who has the most of the votes takes every Great Elector of the State. The Presidential candidate who is elected by at least 270 Great Electors goes to the White House, and Great Electors should, theoretically, vote for the candidate they are related with. Meanwhile, the number of representatives in the upper Deputies Chamber changes with the increase or decrease of the population. So, there isn’t a general majority, but a State-level majority.
It’s important to point out another significant difference between other democracies and American democracy: in every election, some States are chosen to be “key states”: the number of Great Electors changes every time, and so the States that are the candidates’ target. In these elections, key states have been: Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada, where the Democratic party has got the majority of the votes.
Carlotta Nonnis
