Election Basics: Crash Course Government and Politics #36

Elections in the U.S. exist due to the country's large size and complexity, making direct public referendums impractical. Instead, we choose representatives. Elections hold these representatives accountable and help solve the problem of adverse selection by encouraging candidates to provide accurate information and allowing voters to remove ineffective officials.

The U.S. Constitution provides basic guidelines for elections, particularly for the presidency, but most rules are established by state laws, legal decisions, and local administrative practices. Article 1, Section 4 gives states the power to prescribe election times, places, and manner for Senators and Representatives, with Congress having the ability to alter these. Amendments like the 17th, 24th, and 26th have also shaped elections by allowing direct election of Senators, outlawing poll taxes, and lowering the voting age, respectively. Congress also uses its power to expand voter participation, as seen with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

States largely control aspects of elections, including candidate nomination, ballot access, political party operations, voter registration requirements, and polling place logistics. Crucially, states define Congressional election district boundaries, a practice that leads to gerrymandering. The federal government tends to pass laws expanding voting, while states often implement restrictions.

American elections primarily follow the Plurality Rule, where the candidate with the most votes wins, even if it's not a majority. This means a significant portion of voters might be represented by someone they didn't vote for. Some states use a majority rule, necessitating run-off elections if no candidate reaches 50% plus one vote. The 'winner take all' system, applied in 48 states for electoral votes, further emphasizes this, granting all electoral votes to the candidate who wins the state, regardless of their vote percentage.

The Plurality Rule, while efficient, ensures the U.S. will almost always have two viable political parties, a concept explained by Duverger's Law. This law suggests that voters, understanding that third parties rarely win and might split votes from a preferred centrist party, will coalesce around two main parties, thereby discouraging the formation of successful third parties. This structural view of politics helps explain the two-party system, despite observed polarization in more recent times.