Nominations and Campaigns

1. Nominations and Campaigns Chapter 9 Agenda Fat Friday Quiz Elections

2. Fat Friday Quiz • What is the purpose of a political party? • What are two limitations of the primary and caucus system? • What reform did the McCain-Feingold Act (2002) bring to Campaign finance?

3. Format • The four candidates will be given 2 minutes to make an oral argument to the party.

4. Quiz • When evaluating the primary and caucus system, there are several challenges to the Democratic Process: List one challenge and briefly explain why:

5. Current Event • Main idea • 1 Fact • What is leading to the decline in Demand for the PC?

6. Which of the following is a clause of the Constitution that gives the federal government broad powers in many policy areas? A. Interstate Commerce Clause B. Tenth Amendment C. Free-Exercise Clause D. Establishment Clause E. Fiscal Federalism Clause

7. The concept that the American political process is dominated by the struggle of multiple interest groups each trying to advance its own • political goals can best be described as • A. democracy • B. pluralism • C. free enterprise • D. socialism • E. elitism

8. A. The interstate-commerce clause has provided the basis for a wide range of federal legislation from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the health insurance reform of 2010. The Tenth Amendment (1791) (answer choice B) reserves powers for the states rather than providing a basis for the federal government’s power. Both the free exercise clause (answer choice C) and the establishment clause (answer choice D) of the First Amendment limit the federal government’s power to get involved in religion rather than providing a basis for the federal government’s power. The Constitution doesn’t mention fiscal federalism (answer choice E).

9. The Nomination Game • Nomination: • The official endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party. Generally, success requires momentum, money, and media attention. • Campaign Strategy: • The master plan candidates lay out to guide their electoral campaign.

10. The Nomination Game • Deciding to Run • Campaigns are physically and emotionally taxing. • Other countries have short campaigns - generally less than 2 months. • U.S. campaigns (especially for President) can last 18 months or more.

11. The Nomination Game • Competing for Delegates • The Caucus Road • Caucus: Meetings of state party leaders. Used to select delegates. • Now organized like a pyramid from local precincts to the state’s convention. • Not used by many states. • The Iowa caucus is first and considered the most important.

12. The Nomination Game • Competing for Delegates • The Primary Road • Primary: Elections in which voters choose the nominee or delegates pledged to the nominee. • Started by turn of the century reformers. • Most states use one of the forms of a primary. • Frontloading is the tendency of states to hold primaries early - New Hampshire is first. • Generally primaries serve as elimination contests.

13. The Nomination Game • Competing for Delegates • Evaluating the Primary and Caucus System • Disproportionate attention to the early ones. • Prominent politicians find it difficult to make time to run. • Money plays too big a role. • Participation in primaries and caucuses is low and unrepresentative. • The system gives too much power to the media.

14. The Nomination Game • The Convention Send-off • Once provided great drama, but now they are a basic formality - which means less TV time. • Are still important to the party to get organized and motivated. • Party platform: Statement of its goals and policies and general beliefs. • Official nominations and candidate speeches.

15. The Campaign Game • The High-Tech Media Campaign • Direct mail used to generate support and money for the candidate • Get media attention through ad budget and “free” coverage • Emphasis on “marketing” a candidate • News focuses on strategies and events, not on policies

16. The Campaign Game • Organizing the Campaign • Get a campaign manager • Get a fund-raiser & counsel • Hire media and campaign consultants • Assemble staff / plan the logistics • Get research staff, policy advisors & pollsters • Get a good press secretary • Establish a website

17. Money and Campaigning • The Maze of Campaign Finance Reforms • Federal Election Campaign Act (1974) • Created the FEC to administer campaign finance laws for federal elections. • Created the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. • Provided partial public financing for presidential primaries (matching funds). • Provided full public financing for major party candidates in the general election. • Required full disclosure. • Limited Contributions.

18. Money and Campaigning • Soft Money • Contributions (with no limits) used for party-building expenses or generic party advertising • McCain-Feingold Act (2002) banned soft money, increased amount individuals can contribute, and limited “issue ads.”

19. Money and Campaigning • The Decline in Income Tax Check-Off Participation for Federal Financing of Campaigns (Figure 9.3)

20. Money and Campaigning • The Proliferation of PACs • Definition: Created by law in 1974 to allow corporations, labor unions and others to donate money to campaigns. • As of 2004 there were 3,868 PACs. • PACs contributed over $258 million to congressional candidates in 2002. • Donate to candidates who support their issue, regardless of party affiliation • Not sufficient data that PACs “buy” candidates

21. Money and Campaigning • Are Campaigns Too Expensive? • Fund raising takes up lots of time. • Incumbents do worse when they spend more money because they need it when they face tough challengers. • The doctrine of sufficiency suggests that candidates need just “enough” money to win, not necessarily “more.”

22. The Impact of Campaigns • Campaigns have three effects on voters: • Reinforcement, Activation, Conversion • Mostly, they only reinforce & activate • Selective perception: pay attention to things we agree with. • Party identification still has an affect • Incumbents start with a substantial advantage

23. Understanding Nominations and Campaigns • Are Nominations and Campaigns Too Democratic? • Campaigns are open to almost everyone. • Campaigns consume much time and money. • Campaigns promote individualism in American politics. • Do Big Campaigns Lead to an Increased Scope of Government? • Candidates make numerous promises, especially to state and local interests. • Hard for politicians to promise to make government cuts.