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POL S 354: Elections & Voting in U.S.

POL S 354: Elections & Voting in U.S. “Political Symbols” Week 5: April 25, 2006. Voting and Election News…. In the news April 18 – 25, 2006: 1. Republican Congress candidates distancing themselves from WH – 32% job approval for Bush.

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POL S 354: Elections & Voting in U.S.

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  1. POL S 354: Elections & Voting in U.S. “Political Symbols” Week 5: April 25, 2006

  2. Voting and Election News… In the news April 18 – 25, 2006: 1. Republican Congress candidates distancing themselves from WH – 32% job approval for Bush. 2. New Orleans mayoral election – two candidates make runoff – Nagin (38%) & Landreau (29%) – Forman in third (17%) 3. Gas prices are high – will this be a campaign issue in 2006?

  3. Attributable Benefits • People do not have enough information to fully know how each candidate will enact policy and what the results will be • Voters like easy decisions with clear outcomes, such as the indoor smoking ban passed last November • Voters may use different mechanisms to decide who to vote for in different types of elections – high vs. low information

  4. Attributable Benefits • How then do voters decide? • Popkin claims that voters ask the question, “What have you done for me lately,” • Fenno claims that voters ask the question, “How has he looked to me lately,”

  5. Attributable Benefits • In order to connect to voters, candidates align themselves with policies/programs that are easily attributed to them • Congress more likely to focus on district concerns when campaigning than national concerns • President more likely to focus on national (security) concerns when campaigning

  6. Attributable Benefits • The typical voter cares more about the “ends” not the “means” • Government/politicians are judged by results and ignore the methods • This is because government is complex and there are many steps involved in the end result

  7. Attributable Benefits • As a result, the typical politician focuses much of the campaign on straightforward policies and promises: (such as) • National Security • Taxes (lowering) • Education (better schools) • Social Security (protect) • Tough on crime/drugs • National health care (more coverage) • Protecting/creating jobs • Protecting environment (partisan)

  8. Effective Campaign Issues • Voters must see three connections for issues to be effective during campaign: • between issue and the office • between the issue and the candidate • between issue and benefits they care about • This becomes the job of the campaign • provide information to voters • pick the issues that are easiest to “sell”

  9. Effective Campaign Issues • Examples of good/easy issues: • Gas prices • Abortion (not in tight races) • Gun control (not in some states) • Examples of bad/complex issues: • Health care – “how to” (very complex) • Trade issues – international (free trade) • Medical malpractice / reform

  10. Campaigns & Symbols • Symbolic events are easy for the voter to grasp and easy for the campaign to manage • Sputnik launch during Cold War • $250,000 china during unemployment • Rather than using fact-based arguments against a symbol, the opposing campaign picks a different symbol

  11. Campaigns & Symbols • Changing constituency = changing symbols • Campaigns use different issues and different symbols in their party primary compared to the general election • Instead of changing their stance on the issue, candidates use new symbols to refocus the attention for new voters

  12. Campaigns & Symbols • To attract more votes, the campaign will attempt to increase the significance of a particular issue (symbol): • increase the perceived importance of issue • strengthen the connection to the office • increase difference between candidates • In 2004, what was this issue for the Bush campaign?

  13. Campaign Slogans 1840 – William Henry Harrison Tippecanoe and Tyler too 1856 – John C. Freemont Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Speech, Free men, and Freemont 1884 – Grover Cleveland Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine, The Continental Liar from the State of Maine 1884 – James Blain Ma, Ma, Where’s my Pa, Gone to the White House, ha, ha, ha 1928 – Herbert Hoover A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage

  14. Midterm is Thursday • Midterm exam in class, 1:30 – 3:20 • Will be based on all materials in readings through TODAY • Also based on extra material presented during lecture such as current events • Structure • Multiple choice • Short answer (definitions) • Short essay

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