CLOZE TEST: ELECTIONS IN AMERICA

Here you have a cloze test to practice. Fill in the gaps with the words from the box. Then check your answers with the answer key below.

ELECTIONS IN AMERICA

among	ballot	become	delegates	differs
directly	equal	falls	for	in
issue	given	holds	limit	on
one	proportional	provision	swing	sole
tend	that	under	whichever	whoever

The first point to note is that the American presidential system [0]_____ from the parliamentary system which is widespread in Europe and in many other democracies. In the parliamentary system the chief executive is chosen by the legislative. Voters usually do not vote [1]_____ for the chief executive, but rather for the party delegate of their district and [2]_____ party holds the most seats in the parliament in turn is able to form a government.

The American founding fathers believed that since people [3]_____ to be ambitious by nature, where too much power is concentrated in one person or body of the government it will inevitably [4]_____ tyrannical.

For this reason [5]_____  designing the constitution the founders based the American system of government on a separation of powers which means that the executive power (the President), the legislative power (Congress), and the judicial power (the Supreme Court) are independent of each other and each is able to[6]_____  the power of the other branches. In order [7]_____  the executive and legislative powers maintain their independence of each other the founders created a [8]_____ for the president and the congressional representatives to be elected independently of each other. Right now for instance the Democratic Party [9]_____ a majority in both Houses of Congress, while the president is a member of the Republican Party.

[10]_____ the terms of Article II of the US constitution the president is elected not by Congress but by an electoral college whose [11]_____ task is to elect the US president.  After it fulfils its function the College dissolves.  Each state has a certain number of electors which is [12]_____ to the total number of representatives the state has in both houses of congress. Since in the House of Representatives the number of electors is [13]_____ to the population this means that large states such as California, Texas or New York have many more electors than small states such as Wyoming. On the day of the general election , which [14]_____ on November 4, 2008, voters in each state will vote for the person they want to be President and [15]_____ wins the popular vote in each state gets ALL of the electors belonging to that state. The formal electoral vote is a bit later in December.

In addition to the general election there is also another electoral process – currently in full [16]_____ - whereby each political party elects its nominee for President. This determination is formally made at the party conventions which meet in late August for the Democrats and in early September for the Republicans. The [17]_____ for the party conventions are chosen by state and each state has its own rules. Most states use the system of a primary election – citizens using a secret [18]_____ simply vote for the candidate they prefer just like in the general election. Some states like New Hampshire use an open primary – you don’t need to be a member of a political party to vote in its primary.

Some states such as Iowa do not use a primary system but instead use a caucus. In this system the people of a [19]_____ town may attend something like a town meeting in which they discuss and debate who should be the nominee of their party. This is a cherished tradition among the people of Iowa who are the first to vote for party presidential nominees.

In this election cycle the big day will be February 5 – “Super Tuesday.” On that day over twenty primaries and caucuses will be held including some of the most delegate rich states.  Generally it becomes pretty clear by then who will be the party nominee. On rare occasions however no candidate emerges with a clear majority of delegates and the [20]______ has to be resolved at the convention itself, often through political horse trading.

ANSWER KEY

WRITE YOUR ANSWERS HERE				0.  differs
1. directly	2.  whichever	3.    tend	4. become	5.   on
6.  limit	7.    that	8. provision	9.   holds	10. under
11.    sole	12.  equal	13.   proportional	14.  falls	15.  whoever
16.    swing	17.    delegates	18.   ballot	19.   given	20.     issue