Elections and Campaigns

1
Elections and Campaigns

• Chapter 8

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Elections and Campaigns

• Elections are the foundation for modern democracy
• 500,000 public offices on all levels of
  government in U.S.
• Campaigns (candidates efforts to convince voters
  to support them) have become longer and more
  expensive recently ? Regulations needed on
  campaign finance?
• Functions of Elections
• Major method of political participation (voting)
• Peaceful, consistent opportunity to hold
  officials accountable
• Prevents violent revolution or overthrow of
  government
• People accept election as a fair, legitimate
  method of selecting leaders
• Original Constitution and Elections
• Election of House every 2 years
• Creates and defines Electoral College
• Sets the date for national elections
• Most electoral guidelines are set by states

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Weakening of Political Parties in Elections

• 19th century U.S. political parties - STRONG
• -caucuses (members of Congress pick presidential
  candidate) ? (party bosses in smoke-filled
  rooms hand-picked candidates)
• -citizens voted straight tickets showed party
  loyalty
• Other democratic countries very similar
• -political party bosses select candidates
  and place names on ballots
• -elections fights b/w parties
• -Parliament (legislature) majority party chooses
  Prime Minister (executive)
• TODAY U.S. candidates individual effort you
  announce intent, raise money, personally
  appealing to voters through campaigns
• Weakening role of political parties in candidate
  elections except for a label for voters

4
Winner Take All System

• Majority (over 50) is not needed, just a
  plurality candidate with the most votes wins
• Single Member districts for most Congressional
  elections
• The state is divided into several separate
  districts with one representative elected from
  each district
• Ensures a 2 party system in the U.S.
• Each party extends their umbrella and builds a
  large coalition to get the most votes
• Contrasts to proportional representation system
  in which legislative seats are given to parties
  in proportion to the of votes they receive in
  election
• Encourages a multi-party system

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Primaries General Elections

• Primaries resulted from Progressive Movement
  reforms
• -more citizen control over political system
  (early 1900s)
• -used to select a partys candidates for
  elective office
• (ex. Clinton, Edwards, and Obama for Dems trying
  to be the Democratic nominee for president)
• 1. Closed primary -voters declare party BEFORE
  election day then vote for that partys
  candidatesmost states (deterrent for Independent
  voters must be Repub or Democrat)
• 2. Open primary -voter decides which primary to
  choose AFTER entering boothfew states use this
  method
• 3. Blanket (free-love)primary -voter marks ballot
  with all candidates/parties listedchoose R for
  one office, Dem for another
• LA, WA, AK only states to use blanket
• Caucus (Iowa)-party leaders and loyal party
  members choose candidates
• In primary and caucus, individual party members
  have a say in who the party selects to run for
  office
• After primaries comes the general elections (fill
  an elective office) and campaignsvoters decide
• More citizens vote in general elections (50)
  than primary (25)

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Primary vs. General Elections (Cont)

• Activists in primary elections and at nominating
  convention are much more ideological than average
  (rank and file) voters? need these supporters for
  donations, volunteer work, votes
• To get activist support for nomination,
  candidates move to ideological extremes to win
  general election, move back to ideological center

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Congressional vs. Presidential Elections

• Same process announce office, people select
  their part candidate in primary elections, party
  candidates campaign against each other, general
  election victory
• Differences
• Regional (state Senators district- HofR) vs.
  national elections
• Congressional vote every 2 years Reps all open
  Senate 1/3 (every six years)
• Lower voter turnout in congressional elections
  (esp. off years)
• Midterm, non-presidential elections -35 turnout
• congressional voters more ideological (political
  activists)
• Congress is less competitive, incumbency
  tradition is strong (Incumbents reelected 90 of
  time in House)
• Incumbent official currently in office running
  for the same position

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Congressional vs. Presidential Elections (Contd)

• Cong. connected to citizens (visit often, take
  credit for local incentives, communicate with
  constituents with gov.) - Franking privilege
• Pres. Must rely on media
• Cong. can play the blame gamebut the president
  has to take responsibility ? run as individuals
  and denounce Congress as mess in Washington
• Disadvantage Poor performance of president in
  power negatively affects votes of Congressional
  candidates of same party
• Presidents popularity - coattail effect
  decreased
• Previously, if Presidents popular, more
  congressional members of same party get voted in
  and vice versa

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Road to the Presidency

• 2 year process, millions of dollars
• Step 1 - Deciding to announce
• -ensure political financial support, usually
  Congressman or governor, press conference
  announcement
• Step 2 - Presidential primaries
• -traditionally Feb. in New Hampshire 1st, other
  states hold primaries through June
• -voters/delegates pledge support
• -similar to electoral college, convention
  delegates instead of electors, many states have
  proportional representation
• -frontloading early primaries are more
  important than later ones early wins in
  primaries mean more support (more media
  attention, more donors)
• Step 3 The National Party Convention
• -Jackson Dems had 1st natl convention grass
  roots
• -Today primaries pick candidates, natl conv
  formally nominates
• -Natl conv platform, unity, speeches, VP
  pickpep rally for T.V.

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Road to the Presidency

• Step 4 - Campaigning for the General Election
• -2 candidates face off
• -most spent here election experts
• -tone changes to appeal to middle of road voters
• -free T.V. time for debates (since 1960)
• Issue Candidates direct their campaigns at those
  who vote in large numbersminorities? Young
  people?

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Campaigning

• Increased use of technology
• Television short, paid advertisement spots
  packed with soundbites,
• Campaign debates
• 1996-major networks agreed to make some free TV
  time to major party candidates, denying 3rd
  parties
• Computer

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Important aspects of running a campaign

• Becoming well-known (getting mentioned)
• Raising and building an organization of
  personal followers (limitations)
• Organization
• Strategy
• Incumbent defends record, challenger attacks the
  incumbent
• Two challengers own programs, but White House
  party blamed
• Tone
• Theme

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Congressional Election Issues

• Unlimited terms of Cong. ? incumbents are
  constantly running and winning
• Each state has 2 Senators ( year terms),
  Representatives based on pop. ( year
  terms), maximum members (Sup.Court),
  reapportionment of of reps every 10 years based
  on census population (state legislatures draw
  district lines)
• Two problems with single-member district
  boundaries
• Malapportionment
• 1964 case made this illegal
• Gerrymandering

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Congressional Elections

• Staying in Office
• Congressional incumbents have advantage of free (
  ) mail, frequent trips
  home, radio and television broadcasts, clean
  things up in Congress
• Perform services to directly help constituents
• Keeps incumbents in power

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Sources of Campaign Money

• Presidential
• Private donors, interest groups and federal
  government
• Primaries fed.gov. ____________________
  raised from ind. Donors who contribute
  no more than (must first raise
  ____________ in each of twenty states from small
  donors)
• General elections government pays all costs of
  each major party candidate, portion of minor
  parties, up to a limit ( million in 1996,
  million for Perot)
• Fundraisers
• Congressional
• all from private donors and PACS (interest
  groups)

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Campaign and Election Reform

• Criticisms and increased mistrust due to
  excessive spending ? reforms after Watergate
  scandal
• Reform Act of 1974
• -6 person Federal Election Commission -
• -over 100 must be disclosed
• -No foreign contributions
• -Individual contributions limited to __________
  per cand./per election, _______________ natl
  party, ______________ to PAC
• -Corp. est. PAC, must have 50 mbrs, give to at
  least 5 candidates
• -PAC 5,000 per candidate, 15,000 to natl
  party ? but usually much less, limited control
  over candidates
• -Federal matching funds given to major primary
  candidates,
• govt pays for general election (tax money) for
  major party candidates and portion for minor
  cand. (if they receive 5 of vote)
• 1976 Amendments

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Ways around the system

• Soft money- _______________ funds by individuals,
  PACS or other groups given to political parties
  for party building activities used to
  indirectly help candidates (get out the vote
  drives, voter registration) but cannot back
  candidates by name
• Independent Expenditures PAC or interest group
  may spend unlimited amount on advertising for or
  against a candidate, as long as it is not
  directed by the candidate
• Unlimited candidate spending (__________
  v._______)

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Campaign and Election Reform

• -Buckley v. Valeo Supreme Court ruled that
  candidates can spend unlimited money on his/her
  own campaign1st Amdnt right to advocate his/her
  own election (1976)
• Highest spending of elections -1996 Clinton, much
  criticism
• Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

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Election 2000 Local Control

• Local officials have control of voting process
• 2000 Florida controversy created national
  discontent with unjust voting methods
• Different ways to count votes in different areas
  (some electronic machines, some irregular
  punching holes) ? problems with Hanging chads
  (machines may not be counting all votes)
• Raised controversial questions Are votes getting
  counted? Poor vs rich? Does this make voting
  unequal?
• Should vote counting be under national control?
• Should fed govt give money to poor districts for
  machines?

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527s

• 2002 campaign restrictions led to 527s, developed
  in 2004 campaign
• Independent, but heavily partisan gather
  millions of
• Not regulated by the FEC and not limited like
  PACs