Voting and Elections: Campaign Financing, Public Opinion Polling, Voter Turnout, Initiatives/Referendums

1. VOTING and ELECTIONS (Cont’d) July 9th, 2003

2. Voting and Elections • Campaigns and Elections • primaries • general elections • Campaign financing • public opinion polling • Voting Turnout • Initiatives/Referendums

3. Campaign Financing • $1 billion dollars in TV ads -- 2002 • basic rules • FEC • public funding – matching funds • spending limits • contribution limits • disclosure requirements • the problem of “soft money” • contributions to parties (as opposed to candidates)

4. Campaign Financing • the rules collapse... • spending limits enforced by federal matching funding • candidates can ignore limits if they do not accept matching funding • the problem of “soft money” • parties use soft money for party-building and get out the vote campaigns • can be used to get around election spending limits (e.g. are not included in limits)

5. Campaign Financing – Recent Attempts at Regulation • Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, 2002 (McCain-Feingold) • bans the use of soft money by federal parties • limits the ability of independent groups to run issue ads in the final weeks of a campaign

6. Campaign Financing – Recent Attempts at Regulation • McCain-Feingold challenge • federal court ruling • ban on raising of soft money struck down • upholds ban on party advertisements that “...appear to urge a federal candidate’s election or defeat – even if the ads not say so explicitly.” • ban on third party issue ads struck down • third parties would not be allowed to run ads urging a candidates election or defeat at any time • federal court decision stayed pending Supreme Court decision (schedule for hearing September 8th)

7. Campaign Finance -- Conclusion • regulation of campaign finance made difficult because campaign contributions are seen to contribute to mass participation as well as a means of mass participation • parties to use soft money to “get out the vote” • contributing to campaign is seen as a mechanism of political participation • running ads in campaign is seen to constitute free speech

8. Public Opinion Polls • centrality of polling • misuse of polls • nation-wide polls • nation-wide polls do not translate directly into votes in the electoral college • misreading polls

9. Voter Turnout • levels of voter turnout • explaining voter turnout • low voter turnout • declining voter turnout

10. Explaining Voter Turnout • registration procedures • requires registration • motor voter laws • why is voter registration even an issue? • low voter turnout • voter fatigue • voter satisfaction

11. Voter Turnout • high opportunities for mass participation • range of elective offices

12. President US House of Representatives US Senate state governor state representative state senate state attorney general state auditor state treasurer secretary of state county commissioner sheriff clerks of courts mayor city councillors school committee members Elections in Massachusetts

13. Voter Turnout • high opportunities for mass participation • range of elective offices • primary elections • referendums and initiatives • actual participation • primaries (5%-20%) • general election (45%-55%)

14. Explaining Voter Turnout • strategic voting • vote in elections that are close race • vote in elections with candidates that voter has strong feelings for/against • vote in elections with issues of relevance to voter • the “Seinfeld” election in 2002? • vote in elections where multiple offices/issues in play

15. Explaining Voter Turnout • low voter turnout • voter fatigue • voter satisfaction • voter disaffection

16. Explaining Voter Turnout – Voter Disaffection • do elections matter? • incumbency • elections are referedums on incumbents • incumbent has to do something to lose • challenger finds it hard to get money, hard to break cycle • primaries • winner-take-all • economy

17. Explaining Voter Turnout • declining voter turnout • demographics • fewer differences between party • electoral strategy • less interest in who wins • less effort at voter mobilization by parties

18. Referendums and Initiatives – What are They? • What are They? • initiative – proposal to put some issue to a referendum • requires 3%-15% of voters to sign • proposition • referendum question put directly on the ballot

19. Referendums and Initiatives – How and When Are They Used? • allowed by 24 states • half of all initiatives take place in five states • Oregon, California, North Dakota, Colorado, Arizona • success rate • 50% once they are on the ballot • California • 8-12 propositions on EACH ballot • some propositions of VERY considerable importance

20. Main Point! • the American political system is geared towards providing considerable opportunities for mass political participation • actual levels of mass participation may not reach the “ideal”; however, consensus that the “ideal” is high mass participation