1 / 8

The Politics of Congressional Elections

The Politics of Congressional Elections. Gary C. Jacobson. Context of Congressional Elections • Constitutional Framework • Congressional Districts • Election Laws • Political Parties • Social and Political. Gerrymandering Partisan

Anita
Download Presentation

The Politics of Congressional Elections

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Politics of Congressional Elections Gary C. Jacobson

  2. Context of Congressional Elections • Constitutional Framework • Congressional Districts • Election Laws • Political Parties • Social and Political

  3. Gerrymandering • Partisan • Tempered by incumbent protection (another use of the gerrymander) and candidate focused voters • Facilitated by new computer programs • Districts with multiple incumbents • Colorado and Texas • Davis v. Bandemer – partisan gerrymander unconstitutional if sufficiently egregious. • Iowa: a model for reform? • Racial • Thornburg v. Gingles – districts should not discriminate against minorities. • California’s 6th District in 1982 • North Carolina’s 12th • Shaw v. Reno and Miller v. Johnson – limits placed on blatant racial redistricting • Hunt v. Cromartie – race can be considered if primary motivation is partisan.

  4. Incumbency • • Reelection Rates – generally higher in House (rarely under 90%) than in Senate (ranges from 55% to 97% in post-WWII elections) • • Sophomore Surge & Retirement Slump  Slurge • • Vanishing Marginals • Some Sources of the Incumbency Advantage • Institutional Characteristics of Congress (Mayhew) • Voting Behavior • Constituent Service • Discouraging opposition through casework, mailings... • Career in the District (Fenno) • Expansionist  Protectionist • Money • Spending far more important for nonincumbents, especially challengers • So, why are there challengers? • Naiveté • Easy road to nomination • Demonstrate party presence • Rewards in simply running

  5. Money • • FECA • • Private Individuals (largest source) • • PACs • • Party Money • Money from Colleagues • Self-Financing

  6. Voting Behavior • Who votes? Educated, wealthier, older • Role of Party ID (on decline?) • Information - Often limited to name identification - Recall versus Recognition - Big advantage for incumbents • Contacting Voters (personal, mail, mass media, indirect) - Cumulative effect of various methods - Incumbent advantage - Reason for importance of campaign spending • Winning Challengers - Better known - Better financed

  7. Elements of a Campaign • Organization • - Some have campaign staff perpetually in place • - Buying one complete • (general consulting firm or team of specialists) • - Assemble your own • - Volunteer based (bargain basement approach) • • Strategy • • Media (Free/Earned & Paid) • TV, Radio, Newspapers, Billboards, The Internet… • • Personal Campaigning • • Message • Defining the choice • Going Negative • • GOTV or Depressing Turnout • Non-Candidate Advertising • “Voter Education” • “Issue Advocacy”

  8. Reform Options • Problem? Reelection rates are exceptionally high. • Problem? Legislators are disproportionately wealthy, well-educated, male and white. • Problem? Voting rates are low. • Problem? Legislators are strong partisans, most people are not.

More Related