This document outlines key concepts and ideas related to congressional elections in the United States. It discusses primary types, campaign strategies, the role of money, and differences between congressional and presidential elections. Specifically, it notes that congressional elections are held every two years for one third of the Senate and all House seats, and that midterm elections can impact a sitting president's ability to pass legislation.

1. A2 G&P
US Government and Politics
Congressional Elections

2. UNIT 3A : OUTLINE: KEY CONCEPTS
KEY CONCEPTS
 Open, closed and invisible primaries
 The caucus system
 The balanced ticket
 Candidate and issue centred campaigns
 Momentum
 Soft and hard money
 Negative campaigning
 Insider and outsider candidates
 Fixed terms
 Swing states

3. OUTLINE: KEY IDEAS
Answering questions on this topic requires
knowledge of:
 The main characteristics of presidential and
congressional elections and campaigns.
 The main influences on their outcomes.
 Candidate selection and nomination through the
primary and caucus system and the role of the
national nominating conventions
 Debates concerning the workings and outcomes of
the Electoral College and its impact on campaigns

4. OUTLINE: KEY IDEAS
Answering questions on this topic requires
knowledge of:
 The significance of money as a factor in electoral
success.
 The impact of the media on campaigns and candidates
 Direct democracy at State level through the use of
referendums
 Initiatives, propositions and recall elections, and
debates concerning their use
 Comparisons with the UK electoral process to illustrate
arguments

5. Congressional Elections
 Held every two years
 1/3 of the Senate (who sit for six years) elected
 All of House of Representatives
 Held midway through a presidents term in office hence
the name – mid-term elections

6. Breakdown of Congress
Senate Representatives
Composition 100 Senators 435 Congressmen
Representation 2 per state
Dependent on
population in state
Term 6 years 2 years
Minimum age 30 25
Powers Legislation Legislation
Ratification of
Federal judges
Financial legislation
begins
Ratification of
ambassadors
Begins impeachment
process
Ratification of
Executive appointees
Ratification of
Treaties
Tries impeachment
cases

7. Congressional Elections
 Mid term elections can be used as an indicator of what
the electorate think about a presidents performance
 They can also be critically important to incumbent
president, particularly if result imparts gridlock
government
 It is quite common for a presidents party to lose out in
mid term elections

8. Mid-Term Elections
 They can put president in a very difficult position
 Should he support his party’s Congressmen who might
suffer on local issues?
 If he does not, morale of party as a whole may be
negatively effected
 If he does, then he might be associated with
‘supporting a loser’

9. Mid-Term Elections
 If he supports his candidates and they lose in a
negative and unpleasant campaign, he then has to
work with opposition who might now make it very
difficult for him
 Some of his critics may also be from within his own
party. Should he support these people or not? If they
don’t win, it will weaken him in Congress and with
public perception

10. Mid-Term Elections
 Mid-terms present a president with a difficult
balancing act.
 He can use the opportunity to rid his party of those
who have not supported him but he could also see
those that he has supported lose and the consequences
could be dire.