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Campaigns and Elections

Explore the dynamics of American elections focusing on democratic aspects, influence of money, presidential and congressional campaigns, factors for successful congressional campaigns, and election reforms.

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Campaigns and Elections

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  1. Campaigns and Elections Chapter 8 CHAPTER 8: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

  2. In this chapter, you will: • What is unique (and what is not) about American elections. • To ask how democratic American elections are today. • To discuss the influence of money in elections. • To explore presidential and congressional campaigns. • To identify the keys to a successful campaign for Congress. • To consider election reforms. CHAPTER 8: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

  3. How Democratic Are American Elections? • Are American elections truly democratic? Americans vote more often than the citizens of most democracies. • Americans vote for more offices—from state judges to school board members—than the people in other democracies. Some critics suggest we vote on too many offices. CHAPTER 8: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

  4. How Democratic Are American Elections? • The most familiar question about American democracy today fixates on the role of money in campaigns. PACs, super PACs, and 527s have become fixtures in national elections. Recent court decisions have significantly expanded the ability of wealthy donors and outside groups to spend large sums in support of their preferred candidates, party, and causes. CHAPTER 8: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

  5. Presidential Campaigns and Elections • Are American elections truly democratic? Americans vote more often than the citizens of most democracies. • Americans vote for more offices—from state judges to school board members—than the people in other democracies. Some critics suggest we vote on too many offices. CHAPTER 8: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

  6. Presidential Campaigns and Elections • The most familiar question about American democracy today fixates on the role of money in campaigns. PACs, super PACs, and 527s have become fixtures in national elections. Recent court decisions have significantly expanded the ability of wealthy donors and outside groups to spend large sums in support of their preferred candidates, party, and causes. CHAPTER 8: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

  7. Congressional Elections • Every two years, all 435 House seats and a third of the Senate seats are up for election. • Few restrictions govern who may run. • House and Senate incumbents have powerful built-in advantages when running for reelection. • The president’s party generally loses House and Senate seats during the midterm election. • Decennial redistricting of House seats can result in some strangely shaped—and politically motivated—districts, known as gerrymanders. CHAPTER 8: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

  8. How to Run For Congress • To run successfully for Congress, follow a few vital steps: raise sufficient funds (then raise more), organize a talented team, develop a strategy that plays to your strengths, and hone your message. • If you win, you become a freshman. Well done! Now, start running—your reelection campaign has already begun. CHAPTER 8: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

  9. Chapter Summary • Elections define democracies. • A key question in this chapter: Are American elections democratic enough? • American electoral systems are unique because: • We vote on a huge number of offices—over 520,000. • We vote often compared to other nations. • Federal elections for the House of Representatives take place every even-numbered year. • In some places, there are elections every year. CHAPTER 8: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

  10. Chapter Summary • The Constitution puts the states in charge of running elections, instructing them to manage “the time, place, and manner.” But it is silent on crucial matters – like who has the right to vote. • In the last sixty years, all presidents have had one of just three jobs on their résumés: vice president, governor, or senator. Donald Trump became the first president in American history with no public sector experience. CHAPTER 8: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

  11. Chapter Summary • The road to the White House passes through three stages: primaries, the party convention, and the general election. • The most familiar question about American democracy today involves the role of money in election campaigns. PACs, super PACs, and 527s have become fixtures in national elections. • The only constitutional limits to running for Congress are age, citizenship, and residency in the state. CHAPTER 8: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

  12. Chapter Summary • Winning a race for Congress takes money, organization, strategy, and message. • Every ten years, the state legislatures redraw the congressional districts to keep up with changes in the population. The gerrymander is a district that is redrawn to help one party. • Across time, striking patterns have emerged in congressional elections: The president’s party loses seats in the midterm elections, results have grown more volatile (with the party in power shifting often), and war spells trouble for the president’s majority. CHAPTER 8: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

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