Influencing Government

1. Influencing Government Unit III

2. Functions of Parties Write down everything you think you know about the Republicans and Democrats

3. What is a Party? • A political party is a group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office. • Sponsors people for election under organization’s name • People in political parties do not always get along.

4. Functions of Parties • Nominating Function • Nominate Candidates, ensure qualifications and raise quality. • Informer-stimulator Function • Encourage people to vote • Discouraging third parties • Providing citizens with information necessary to make a decision.

5. Functions Continued • Seal of Approval Function • Proposing Alternative Government Programs • Even if citizens know little about candidates they can vote for the party because it supports similar ideas. • Governmental Function • Coordinate actions of government officials. • Allowing politicians to work within their party.

6. Functions of Parties • Watchdog Function • Held by party out of power. • Monitors and reports on other parties actions.

7. Multi Party, Two Party and Single Party systems Controlling government

8. Multiparty System • Several major and many lesser parties exist. • Europe • Parties are each based on some particular interest – economic class, religious belief, sectional attachment, etc. • Tends to produce instability.

9. One Party System • Nearly all dictatorships today. • Reality there is no party system. • US it may seem like some states only have one party. – • Examples?

10. The Two-Party System • The Force of Tradition. • The Electoral System – promote the existence of only 2 parties. • The American Ideological Consensus. Historical Basis – Beginnings of the Nation. Federalist and Anti-Federalist

11. Organization of Political Parties • The Reality. • May appear to be highly centralized and organized. – NOT REALLY SO! • Fragmented and disjointed. • There is no chain of command at any level. • Each state is loosely tied to the national. • Often local organizations are independent.

12. Role of Presidency • President’s party is usually more closely organized and united. • POTUS is automatically the leader. • Other party has no direct leader. -- Many people usually compete for leadership. Michael Steele

13. National Party Machinery • National Committee. (RNC and DNC) • National Convention. • Congressional Campaign Committees. • Work to reelect incumbents and to save the seats given up by retiring members. • Tries to unseat incumbents in other party.

14. Party Ideology What makes a democrat a democrat and a republican a republican?

15. Two Party System In the US Democrats Republicans Are these your only two options?

16. Key Role of Minor Parties • Take clear-cut stands on the controversial issues of the day. • Draw attention to a particular issue ignored by major parties • When proposal gains major support a major party will take it over • Strong third party candidacy can play a major role. • Often a spoiler in an election.

17. Ideological Protest Parties • Based on a particular set of beliefs. • Many are organized around Marxist thought. • Socialist labor, Socialist worker and Communist Parties. • Libertarian party of today. • Emphasizes individualism and reduction of most government functions. • Not often able to win many votes • Parties are long lived.

18. The Single-Issue Parties • Concentrating on a single public policy matter. • Names usually indicate major concern. • I.e. Prohibition party. • Most have faded over time as the issue has lost importance.

19. Farmer-Labor Parties • Economic Protest Parties • Rooted in Periods of economic discontent. • No clear cut ideological base. • Demand better times • Focused anger on real or imagined enemies. • Disappear as the nation gains better economic status

20. Splinter/Bolter Parties • Split away from one of the major parties. • Most important minor parties have been of this kind. • Form around a strong personality. • Often someone who has failed to win a majority of the original party’s vote. • Have faded or collapsed when that leader stepped aside.

21. Creating a Political Party • Your group has decided that your are not fully represented by today’s political parties and have decided to create your own. • Create a party ideology. • Create a party platform that candidates will run upon. • Create a party slogan. • Create a party logo/emblem. • Who would you nominate for president and why?

22. Who can vote and who does vote Voting

23. Voting Amendments • 15th Amendment (1870) • Right to vote cannot be denied due to race, color or previous slavery. • 19th Amendment (1920) • The right to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the Unite States or by any state on account of sex. • 26th Amendment (1971) • The right of citizens, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

24. Voter Qualifications • Each state requires these three things in order to vote. • Citizenship – aliens are generally denied the right to vote. • Residence – must live in a state a certain amount of days (PA 30 Days) • Age – 26th Amendment says 18. (1971)

25. Motor Voter Law • Eligible citizens can register when getting a drivers license. • Can register by mail. • At local offices. • Even online (only to change your residence.)

26. Who can’t vote - Disenfranchised • People in mental institutions or those found legally incompetent. • Dishonorably discharged from the Armed Services. • Felons – in some states. PA can vote as long as you are not in jail for a felony. • 4.7 million Americans (1 in 43 adults) • 2.3% of the entire population.

27. Non Voting • 1996 only 49% of eligible voters voted. • 2000 54.2% of eligible voters voted. • 2004 – 60% of eligible voters voted. • 2008 – 64% of eligible voters voted. • Eligible means those who are over 18 and meet all other requirements. • Greater the competition the greater the turnout!

28. Why don’t we vote!!!! • Cannot Voters • Actual Non-Voters • Time Zone Factor? • What are the characteristics of someone likely to vote? • What are the characteristics of someone unlikely to vote?

29. The sociological and psychological reasons for voting and part choice. How and why we vote

30. Voter Behavior • Sociology – study of groups and how people behave in groups. • Pieces of a voter’s social and economic life. • Personal characteristics. • Group affiliations. • Psychology – Study of the mind and individual behavior. • Voters perception on politics I.e. how they see politics, parties, the candidates and issues in the election.

31. Sociological Factors • Income and Occupation • Middle to upper middle class – D or R • Lower middle to lower class – D or R • professional or White Collar – D or R • Manual or Blue Collar work – D or R • Education • College graduates are more likely to be - D or R than high school graduates. • High school graduates are more likely to be - D or R than high school drop outs.

32. Effects of Education on Political Participation

33. Sociological Factors • Gender • Men are more likely to be – D or R • Women are more likely to be – D or R • Age • Younger voters more likely to be - D or R • Older voters more likely to be - D or R

34. Sociological Factors • Religion • Protestants tend to favor - D or R. • Catholics and Jews tend to favor - D or R • Minorities – Non Whites. • Tend to support - D or R • Geography • Rural & suburban voters tend to vote - D or R • Urban voters tend to vote – D or R

35. Psychological Factors • Party identification • Where does this develop? • Independent Voters • Why are they important? • What percentage of the population do they make up? • Candidate and the issues. • How are they important?

36. Voting Campaigning • Need to enter instructions.

37. It costs how much? Financing a Campaign

38. Campaign Financing • Pretend you are running for President of the United States: • What do you need to do in order to run a successful campaign? • What types of people would have to work for you? • What would you have to spend money on? • Where would you campaign and how often?

39. It’s all about the Money • Your campaign for presidency will cost you: • $15,000 per month for campaign manager. • $50,000 for a direct mail fundraising letter to 100,000 people you HOPE will donate to your campaign • $525,000 for a week’s worth of TV commercials in just in New York! • $600,000 for telephone bank with operators to make two million calls. • An average day of campaigning can run to $100,000

40. Where would you spend your money?

41. Amount of Attention

42. Total Spending by Presidential Candidates

43. Brief History of Big Spenders • 1800’s big business played major role in elections. • Steel, oil, banks and railroads. • 1907 all corporate contributions banned • 1947 all Union contributions banned • Enter the PAC –more on this later • 1974 creation of Federal Electing Commission (FEC) • Presidents receive matching funds • 1976 Congress can limit contributions, but not expenditures

44. New Laws • 2002 McCain Feingold Bi-Partisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) • Limits Soft Money Donations • Soft Money – anything of value that is given or spent for federal election purposes outside of federal contribution limits. • Mailings, get out the vote campaigns, party functions. • Hard Money – money or anything of value that a political committee receives that satisfies federal contributions limits.

46. Two Elections Primaries General Election Federal Government will match funds. Must agree not to spend more than $84.1 mil. Only after accepting the nomination of party. Cannot spend any previously raised funds. Can reject funds. 2008 is the first time any candidate has ever rejected these funds! • Federal Govt will match funds raised • Must agree not to spend more than $42 mil • Only if candidate raises $100,000 • Discourage hopeless and frivolous candidates from wasting money. • Can Reject federal matching funds – Why?

47. What can you give • Individuals • $2000 per election per candidate • primary and general. • Political Action Committees • $5000 per election per candidate • primary and general • Who can’t give • Businesses, Unions and Special Interest Groups. • Foreign countries • Foreign national • Why not? • I am not going to ask you to memorize this information I promise it’s just an FYI!

48. The media’s influence

49. Mass Media • Medium – A means of communication. It transmits some kind of information. • Media is plural of medium. • Include the means of communication that reach large widely dispersed audiences at one time. • Mass media are not a part of government or political parties. • Do not exist to influence government. • Do Provide people with political information. • Where people get most of their information!

50. Television • Readily available in the late 1940’s. • 1950 – 9% of homes had TV. • 1954 – 60% of homes had TV. • 1960 – 90% of homes had TV. • Today – 99% of homes have TV. • Major Networks and Cable. • Cable is gaining popularity. • Fox News, CNN and CSpan • Principle source of information for 80% of US.