POLI-D-537 Parties and Government in the U.S. 5 ects

1. POLI-D-537 Parties and Government in the U.S. 5 ects Emilie van Haute Week 12

2. Part IIPolitical Campaigns & Elections in the U.S. Outline I.1. Presidential Elections I.2. Case studies I.3. Congressional Elections I.4. Participation & Voting Behavior I.5. Campaign & Strategy I.5. Campaign & Strategy 1. Financing Elections 2. General Election Campaign

3. 1. Financing Elections (1) • The Importance of Money • Critical resource: HQ, consultants, staff, polls, media ad, travel • Escalating costs: House: average $800,000; Senate: average $5,000,000 • Variations: interparty competition, closeness of the contest • Impact: necessary but not sufficient to win; avoid disparities; impact depend on status (higher for challenger than for incumbents) • Methods to regulate campaign finances • Public Disclosure • Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) - 1971: requires that all contributions & expenditures of $200> must be reported • Candidates must file reports (pre & post-election) to the FEC => online • Contribution & Expenditure Limits • Candidates may raise money from individuals, Political Action Committees (PACs) & party committees (limits changed after BCRA; primary and general elections considered separate) • Party committees: both national & congressional committees ($20,000 for the House ; $37,300 for the Senate, indexation), + state party organizations • Coordinated expenditures: spending by parties (polls, media production, consulting) that does not entail direct contributions to a candidate’s campaign committee: House: $39,600 (indexation); Senate: 2 cents/voter (indexation)

6. 1. Financing Elections (2) • Contribution & Expenditure Limits • No limit on spending from candidates’ organizations or own money but • BCRA: millionaire’s amendment: increases limits in spending if the opponent is using a certain amount of his/her own money (House: $350,000; Senate: depends on state population) • Independent Expenditures, Issue Advocacy, and Soft Money • FECA restricted to $1,000 the amount that groups could spend to support candidates but it was banned by the Supreme Court (violation of 1st amendment: right to freedom of speech) • = expenditures by organized groups (NRA, Medical Association, AFL-CIO, etc.) • Consequence: end of 1990s: ↑ of issue advocacy advertising (not directed to specific candidate but recognizable) as mean to get around FECA limits (soft money) => Problems: • Soft Money Loopholes: ways for individuals & organizations to evade the FECA limits => allow parties & candidates to exceed their spending limits (issue advocacy, GOTV campaigns, generic ad > candidate ad) • Interest Group Influence • Accountability: candidate lose control on the content of the campaign

7. 1. Financing Elections (3) • The BCRA • = Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (2002) aimed to tackle the problems linked to soft money and issue advocacy • Ban on Soft Money: limits on soft money used by parties • Limits on Issue-Advocacy Spending: time limit (no ad within 30 days before primary or 60 days before election) and no mention of candidate names • “Stand by Your Ad” Disclaimer: candidates, interest groups & parties have to include a statement of responsibility for their ad (‘I approve this message’) • Parties after the BCRA • FECA gives money to candidates, not parties => reinforced candidate-centered • But national party committees make coordinated expenditures & state parties benefited from transfers from national parties & soft money loophole • BCRA = threat to national parties But parties = resilient: efforts to attract small donations (< $200) => raise more hard money • BCRA affected other party organizations (hill committees, state parties)

10. 1. Financing Elections (4) • PACs and 527s • PACs = Political Action Committees = right to solicit & accumulate funds for distribution to candidates (tax exemption) • - Explosion in numbers; share of campaign; preference for incumbents • Since 2004: rise of 527 committees: tax exemption for political activities – unlimited amounts of money (issue advocacy & voter mobilization) = neqw soft money channel • Public Financing of Elections • - FECA: public financing for presidential candidates who accept subsidy & restrict expenditures (if party > 5% popular vote in previous election)

13. 2. Election Campaign (1) • Incumbency • Advantage: resources, privileges of public office, better known, better fund-raising >< challengers (no efforts) => over 90% reelected • Keep contact with voters: newsletters, meetings with constituent groups, office hours = self-advertisement • Presidents & Governors: more individual accountability • House: homogeneous districts • Senate: more interparty competition statewide; more resources to challengers; contests more visible • Majority vs. Minority Party Status • - Majority status: party identification appeals • Candidate Image • Preferred personal characteristics vary depending upon context • Not easily created or altered • Impact declines for lower ballots (candidates less known & less visible)

16. 2. Election Campaign (2) • The Role of Parties in Modern Campaigns • Candidate organizations independent of the party • Consultants stick to one party • Party organization: essential support & services: polls, analyses, phone banks • => Help develop campaign plans targeting specific groups • Techniques used by parties: • Big budget for TV ads (negative campaigning) • Direct mail/contact to target groups • GOTV (targeting potential supporters) • Canvassing (door-to-door) • => Air war & ground war