Congressional Research Service Reports - 8 Matching Results
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- Foreign Money and U.S. Elections
- This report provides an overview of the prohibitions on foreign money under federal campaign finance law.
- The Electoral College: How It Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections
- This report focuses on the institutions and procedures associated with the contemporary electoral college system. It opens by noting four rarely occurring electoral college eventualities that took place in connection with the 2016 presidential election. These included the election of a President and Vice President who received fewer popular votes than their major opponents; the actions of seven "faithless electors," who voted for candidates other than those to whom they were pledged; the split allocation of electoral votes in Maine, which uses the district system to choose its electors; and challenges to electoral votes in the joint session of Congress at which they are counted. The report also examines the constitutional origins of the electoral college system and identifies the additional components and processes that are the product of federal and state law, party requirements, and political tradition, explaining their role in presidential elections. It provides a timeline for operation of the electoral college system for the 2020 presidential election, a brief examination of alternative reform measures, including constitutional amendment proposals and non-governmental initiatives, such as the National Popular Vote initiative1 (NPV), and closes with concluding observations on the state of the electoral college system and prospects for change.
- Foreign Money and U.S. Campaign Finance Policy
- This report discusses regulations forbidding the use of foreign money in U.S. election campaigns and various debates and recent actions surrounding enforcement of the rules.
- Electoral College Reform: Contemporary Issues for Congress
- This report provides a brief introduction to the electoral college system, its original intent, pros and cons of the system, recent criticisms, and proposals to reform or end the electoral college.
- U.S. Senate Vacancies: Contemporary Developments and Perspectives
- This report discusses senate vacancies created by a member resigning, dying, or transferring to another position as well as the the procedures to fill them.
- Speakers of the House: Elections, 1913-2017
- This report provides data on elections of the Speaker in each Congress since 1913, when the House first reached its present size of 435 Members. During that period (63rd through 115th Congresses), a Speaker was elected five times with the votes of less than a majority of the full membership.
- Proposals to Eliminate Public Financing of Presidential Campaigns
- This report discusses Presidential campaign funding and provides a brief policy overview and raises potential issues for congressional consideration.
- Russia and the U.S. Presidential Election
- This report discusses a declassified report on Russian activities and intentions related to the 2016 U.S. presidential election.