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Chapter 14

Chapter 14. The Campaign Process Pages 509-544. Nomination Campaign. Seek their party’s nomination Gaining support within the party and electorate Candidates risk moving too far right or left to win party’s nomination. General Election Campaign. Which issues to emphasize (platform)

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Chapter 14

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  1. Chapter 14 The Campaign Process Pages 509-544

  2. Nomination Campaign • Seek their party’s nomination • Gaining support within the party and electorate • Candidates risk moving too far right or left to win party’s nomination

  3. General Election Campaign • Which issues to emphasize (platform) • Personal conviction • Party platform • Expertise • Public opinion polls • Appeal to moderates • 50% of electorate don’t know how they will vote the summer before election

  4. Organizational Campaign • Behind-the-scenes effort that funds and supports the candidate. • Raises money for staff to be used on • advertising • Mailings • fund-raising dinners • public opinion polling.

  5. Parts of Organizational Campaign • Get-out-the-vote • Campaign manager • Campaign consultant • Finance chair • Pollster • Direct mailer

  6. Media Campaign • Getting a candidate’s message to as many potential voters as possible • Agenda setting • Paid media • Positive/negative ads • 1796: Jefferson portrayed as an atheist • 1800: Rumor Jefferson was dead • Contrast ads • Spot ads • Inoculation ads • Protection against negative ads

  7. Media Campaign • Free Media • News editors’ decisions to print what is news worthy • Public opinion polls, especially tracking polls • Private life, a candidate’s success, “horse-race journalism”

  8. Campaign Financing • Financing • Quality of a campaign organization often boils down to campaign funds • Regulating Campaign Financing • Goal: prevent any single group from gaining too much influence over elected officials • Federal Election Campaign Act (1971, amended 1974)

  9. The FEC Runs The Show • The 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act created the Federal Election Committee (FEC). • There are six members of the FEC, (always three from the Democrats and Republicans) who are appointed for six year terms by the president. • The FEC: • Enforces limits on national contributions • Monitors all campaign spending • Handing out public funds for presidential campaigns

  10. The FEC Runs The Show • What resulted from the creation of the FEC? • All funding contributions are now reported. • Questioned the legality of monitoring campaign spending and fundraising. • 1st Amendment—a restriction of free speech

  11. Campaigns • Regulating Campaign Financing • Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act (2002) • Changed campaign finance rules effective for the 2004 election • Raises the individual contribution limit to $2,000 to a specific candidate in a primary, run-off and general election • Permits a contribution of $5,000 per year to each state party or political committee • Permits a contribution of $20,000 per year to any national party committee • Linked future contribution limits to inflation

  12. Campaign Finance • Most recently, Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) • Proposed by McCain and Feingold • Any suit would be settled by U.S. District Court, appealed to Supreme Court • NRA filed suit, violation of 1st amendment • McConnell vs. FEC, Supreme Court upheld BCRA limitations on political contributions and thus, the 1st Amendment.

  13. PAC Contributions • Officially recognized fund-raising organizations allowed by law to donate. • Incumbents benefit the most from PAC money • Small number of PACs make up large proportion of campaign war chests.

  14. Other Contribution Sources • Member-to-member • Personal contributions • Buckley v. Valeo (1976)—limits on spending are unconstitutional; limits on fundraising are appropriate. • Public funds

  15. Public Funds • What are federal matching funds and how does a campaign qualify for them? • Candidates qualify if they raise at least $5000 ($250 max/person) in 20 different states • Once they qualify, they will get a share of the FEC’s money for that year. • Can refuse, allowing candidates to spend more than the allotted amount.

  16. Soft Money and 527s • Prohibited under BCRA • 527s: Interest groups that are unregulated under state or federal campaign finance laws because they do not “expressly advocate” for the election or defeat of a candidate or party.

  17. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) • Most recent Supreme Court ruling • Independent campaign contributions by corporations and unions ARE protected by 1st Amendment

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