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Campaigns and Elections

Campaigns and Elections. The Structure of American Elections. Structured to limit popular control and minimize chances of factions controlling government Schedule Terms Geography. Political Geography of House districts. Apportionment Gerrymandering. Electoral College.

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Campaigns and Elections

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  1. Campaigns and Elections

  2. The Structure of American Elections • Structured to limit popular control and minimize chances of factions controlling government • Schedule • Terms • Geography

  3. Political Geography of House districts • Apportionment • Gerrymandering

  4. Electoral College • Created to provide a check on popular will • Allocation of Electoral Votes based on size of states’ congressional delegation • Thwarting the Popular Vote • 1876—Hayes over Tilden (controversial) • 1888—Harrison over Cleveland • 2000—Bush over Gore (controversial)

  5. Elections in the U.S. Occur in Two Stages • Nomination (Primaries) • The General Election Campaign

  6. Functions of campaigns • Inform • Persuade • Mobilize

  7. Impact of campaigns • Conventions • Usually the most important campaign events • Frequently produce large swings in public opinion • Large swings are not always decisive • Debates • More modest effects • Generally informative, especially for low-information voters • Minimal effects? • Leader on Labor Day almost always wins

  8. Perspectives on Voting Behavior • Social-psychological model • Party Identification • Social groups • Retrospective Voting • Reward-punishment • Valence issues • Prospective Voting • Issue proximity • Positional issues

  9. Factors Influencing Voters in 2000

  10. Predicting Election Outcomes • Economy • Presidential Approval • Terms in Office

  11. Why Isn’t Al Gore President? • Economy and Presidential Approval? • Clinton Fatigue? • Campaign? • Information Environment?

  12. Political Participation • Activities we undertake to choose leaders, give information to government, take part in politics. • Many modes of participation • Conventional • Unconventional

  13. Who Votes? • Demographic groups • Socioeconomic Status • Age • Race • Religion • Gender • Resources

  14. Who Votes (cont.)? • Political Attitudes • Partisanship • Efficacy • Civic Duty • Political Knowledge • Interest

  15. Who Votes?

  16. (De)Mobilization Activities • Party and group activities • Campaign spending • Competition, information, GOTV • Type of election • Information, interest • Registration Requirements

  17. Declining turnout since 1960 Explanations Does low turnout matter? Cross-national Comparisons: Why is turnout so low in the U.S.? Underlying Civic Attitudes? Differences in political systems? Trends in Voter Turnout

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