( 圖 / 照片來源自 Financial Times )
In the United States, the Presidential Election happens every four years. People vote for a president who will lead the country for the next four years. There are two main political parties in the U.S.: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Let’s learn more about these terms, some key candidates, and interesting differences between U.S. and Taiwanese elections!
在美國，總統大選每四年舉行一次。人民會投票選出總統，這位總統將領導國家四年。美國有兩個主要政黨：民主黨和共和黨。讓我們來了解這些術語、重要的候選人以及美國和台灣選舉之間的一些有趣差異吧！
重要詞彙：
Democratic Party (民主黨): This party is often represented by the color blue and its symbol is a donkey. The Democratic Party is considered more liberal and focuses on policies like health care and education.
民主黨：這個政黨通常用藍色代表，標誌是一隻驢子。民主黨通常被認為是較為自由派，並且注重醫療保健和教育等政策。
Republican Party (共和黨): This party is symbolized by the color red and an elephant. It is more conservative, meaning it supports smaller government and lower taxes.
共和黨：共和黨的標誌是紅色和一頭大象。共和黨較為保守，支持小政府和低稅收政策。
Electoral College (選舉人團): This is a unique part of the U.S. election system. When people vote for president, they are actually voting for electors. These electors then choose the president. This system is different from Taiwan, where the president is chosen directly by the voters.
選舉人團：這是美國選舉系統中特有的一部分。當人們為總統投票時，其實是在選出選舉人，然後這些選舉人選出總統。這與台灣直接由選民選出總統的方式不同。
Swing State (搖擺州): These are states where both parties have a good chance of winning. They are very important in deciding the election. For example, Florida and Ohio are famous swing states.
搖擺州：這些州是兩個政黨都有機會贏得的州。它們對選舉結果非常重要。比如佛羅里達州和俄亥俄州就是著名的搖擺州。
冷知識：美國選舉與台灣選舉的不同之處
In Taiwan, voters choose their president directly, and the one with the most votes wins. However, in the U.S., a candidate can win the most votes from the people but still lose the election because of the Electoral College system. This is a big difference between the two countries’ elections!
在台灣，選民直接選出總統，獲得最多票的候選人獲勝。但在美國，由於選舉人團的系統，候選人可能贏得了最多的選民票數，但仍然可能輸掉選舉。這是兩國選舉制度的一個重大區別！
選舉活動：
Candidates from both the Democratic Party and Republican Party spend months traveling the country, giving speeches, and holding rallies to convince people to vote for them. Debates are also an important part of U.S. elections, where the candidates discuss important topics like the economy, health care, and international relations.
民主黨和共和黨的候選人會花幾個月的時間在全國各地巡迴演講，舉行集會，以說服人們投票支持他們。辯論也是美國選舉中重要的一部分，候選人會討論經濟、醫療保健和國際關係等重要議題。
主要候選人：
Joe Biden (喬·拜登): Joe Biden is the current president of the United States and a member of the Democratic Party. He was elected in 2020, defeating the then-president, Donald Trump. Biden focuses on issues like climate change, healthcare, and rebuilding alliances with other countries.
喬·拜登：喬·拜登是現任美國總統，隸屬民主黨。他於2020年擊敗當時的總統唐納德·川普當選。他注重氣候變遷、醫療保健以及重建國際聯盟等問題。
Donald Trump (唐納德·川普): Donald Trump was the 45th president of the United States and a member of the Republican Party. He was in office from 2017 to 2021. Trump is known for his “America First” policies, focusing on reducing immigration, lowering taxes, and negotiating trade deals. He ran for re-election in 2020 but lost to Joe Biden.
唐納德·川普：唐納德·川普是第45任美國總統，隸屬共和黨。他於2017年至2021年擔任總統，以“美國優先”的政策著稱，專注於減少移民、降低稅收和貿易協議的談判。他在2020年競選連任，但輸給了喬·拜登。
In summary, the U.S. election system has some unique parts like the Electoral College and swing states, which make it different from other countries like Taiwan. Understanding these terms and knowing the key candidates helps to better follow the exciting event that happens every four years!
總之，美國選舉系統有一些特有的部分，比如選舉人團和搖擺州，這使它與台灣等其他國家的選舉不同。了解這些術語和主要候選人，有助於更好地關注這個每四年一次的激動人心事件！
