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Chapter Ten: Campaigning for Office

Chapter Ten: Campaigning for Office. Learning Objectives. Identify the reasons people have for seeking public office. Compare and contrast a primary and a caucus in relation to the party nominating function.

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Chapter Ten: Campaigning for Office

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  1. Chapter Ten: Campaigning for Office

  2. Learning Objectives • Identify the reasons people have for seeking public office. • Compare and contrast a primary and a caucus in relation to the party nominating function. • Describe the major changes that have occurred in campaigning for public office over the last decade. • Explain the use of polls and focus groups by candidates and campaigns.

  3. Learning Objectives • Briefly explain the rules on public financing of presidential campaigns. • Distinguish between “soft money” and “hard money.” • Explain how the Campaign Reform Act of 2002 encouraged independent expenditures and issue advocacy ads.

  4. Learning Objectives • Explain why campaign finance reform inevitably produces new ways for money to flow to campaigns (e.g., 527 organizations). • Evaluate the effects of front-loading on the quality and quantity of candidates voter see on the ballot in their state.

  5. Who Wants to Be a Candidate? • There are two categories of individuals who run for office: • self-starters • those who are recruited by the party. • The Nomination Process

  6. Who Wants to Be a Candidate? Who Is Eligible? President: • Must be a natural-born citizen • At least 35 years old • Be a resident of the country for 14 years by the time of inauguration.

  7. Who Wants to Be a Candidate? Who Is Eligible? (Continued) Vice president: • Must be a natural-born citizen • At least 35 years old • Not be a resident of the same state as the candidate for president

  8. Who Wants to Be a Candidate? Who Is Eligible? (Continued) Senator: • Must be a citizen for at least 9 years • At least 30 years old • Be a resident of the state from which elected

  9. Who Wants to Be a Candidate? Who is Eligible? (Continued) Representative: • Must be a citizen for at least 7 years • At least 25 years old • Be a resident of the state from which elected

  10. Who Wants to Be a Candidate? • Who Runs? • Holders of political office in the United States are overwhelmingly white and male. • Women as Candidates: number of women running for office has substantially increased • Lawyers as Candidates

  11. The 21st Century Campaign The Changing Campaign: • Before most households had televisions, campaigning was personalized. Campaigns today are often less personal, with voters receiving information through the media. • Campaigns have become less party-centered and more candidate-centered.

  12. The 21st Century Campaign The Professional Campaign • Candidates hire: • political consultants • finance chairperson • communications director • press secretary

  13. The 21st Century Campaign

  14. The Strategy of Winning • Candidate Visibility and Appeal • Use of Opinion Polls • Focus Groups • Financing the Campaign

  15. Financing the Campaign • Regulating Campaign Financing • Hatch Act (Political Activities Act) of 1939 • Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 • Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974 • Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

  16. Interest Groups and Campaign Finance: Reaction to New Rules • PACs and Political Campaigns • Interest groups can set up PACs to raise funds for candidates. • Funds must be raised from at least 50 volunteer donors and must be given to at least five candidates in the federal election. • PACs can contribute up to $5,000 to each candidate in each election.

  17. Interest Groups and Campaign Finance: Reaction to New Rules

  18. Interest Groups and Campaign Finance: Reaction to New Rules • Campaign Financing Beyond the Limits • Soft Money • Independent Expenditures • Issue Advocacy

  19. Interest Groups and Campaign Finance: Reaction to New Rules • Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 • Bans soft money. • Allowed campaign ads by outside special-interest groups up to 60 days before a general election and up to 30 days before a primary election. • Increased contribution limit to $2,000 with annual increases. • Raised maximum amount individuals can give to $95,000 over a two-year election cycle.

  20. Interest Groups and Campaign Finance: Reaction to New Rules Rise of the 527s—527s are tax exempt interest groups that use soft money contributions: • Can be partisan or ideological. • Can raise more money than PACs.

  21. Interest Groups and Campaign Finance: Reaction to New Rules

  22. Interest Groups and Campaign Finance: Reaction to New Rules • Campaign Financing and the 2008 Elections • John McCain used public campaign funds for the general election. • Barack Obama raised over $630 million in individual donations and did not accept PAC monies. • Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

  23. Running for President: The Longest Campaign Primaries: • Closed Primary • Open Primary • Blanket Primary • Runoff primary Front-Loading the Primaries

  24. Running for President: The Longest Campaign • The National Conventions • Seating the Delegates • Convention Activities • Speeches • Committee reports • Presidential balloting

  25. Running for President: The Longest Campaign • The General Election • Begins after the national conventions. • Candidates plan their campaigns to use media advertising, debates, and Get Out the Vote (GOTV) campaigns. • Must constantly plan to win 270 electoral votes to win.

  26. Web Links • Federal Election Commission: contains information about current campaign-financing laws and the latest filings of finance reports: www.fec.gov. • Center for Responsive Politics: a nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit research group that tracks money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy: www.opensecrets.org. • Project Vote Smart: investigates voting records and campaign-financing information: • www.votesmart.org.

  27. What If…Spending Limits Were Placed on Campaigns? • One of the most fundamental questions about campaign financing is the fairness—to both candidates and voters—of one candidate who raises more money to finance a strong organization and buys more media advertisements than others.

  28. What If…Spending Limits Were Placed on Campaigns? Impact of spending limits: • Decline in number of wealthy candidates • Limits on campaign contributions • Reduction in number of lobbyists • Decreased revenue for media companies

  29. You Can Make a Difference: Students on the Campaign Trail Students can volunteer for political campaigns at the national, state, and local levels by: • helping with fundraising, • participating in weekend canvassing, • getting people out to vote as election day approaches, • working for one of the party organizations, and • volunteering for an independent political entity.

  30. You Can Make a Difference: Students on the Campaign Trail For further information on volunteering for political campaigns, please contact one of the following organizations: • College Democrats of America: www.collegedems.com. • College Republican National Committee: www.crnc.org.

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