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Campaigns and Elections Democracy in Action

8. Campaigns and Elections Democracy in Action. 8. Learning Objectives. Assess the implications of election rules in the United States. 8.1. Identify problems associated with administering elections and evaluate proposed solutions to those problems. 8.2. 8. Learning Objectives.

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Campaigns and Elections Democracy in Action

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  1. 8 Campaigns and Elections Democracy in Action

  2. 8 Learning Objectives Assess the implications of election rules in the United States 8.1 Identify problems associated with administering elections and evaluate proposed solutions to those problems 8.2

  3. 8 Learning Objectives Explain how congressional elections work and why they are generally not competitive 8.3 Describe the stages in U.S. presidential elections and the differences in campaigning at each stage 8.4

  4. 8 Learning Objectives Evaluate the influence of money in American elections and the main approaches to campaign finance reform 8.5 Assess concerns regarding presidential elections and reforms that have been proposed 8.6

  5. Elections: The Rules of the Game 8.1 • Regularly Scheduled Elections • Fixed, Staggered, and Sometimes • Limited Terms • Term Limits • Winner Take All • The Electoral College

  6. Regularly Scheduled Elections Elections held at fixed intervals Party in power cannot change date Congressional elections held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered year Presidential elections every four years 8.1

  7. Fixed, Staggered, and Sometimes Limited Terms Fixed Terms of Office U.S. Representative = 2 years U.S. Senator = 6 years President = 4 years Staggered Terms of Office All House members run every two years Only 1/3 of Senate also run every two years 8.1

  8. Term Limits President limited to two terms Twenty-Second Amendment Efforts to limit terms of state legislators State-level limits largely adopted in 1990s Proposals for federal office limits defeated by Congress and Supreme Court 8.1

  9. Winner Take All 8.1 • Plurality of votes wins • Majority is not required • Favors moderates • Single-member districts • Usually only one winner per office • In combination with winner-take-all system, virtually • guarantees two-party system • Proportional representation

  10. The Electoral College 8.1 • Electoral system • Number of electors same as number of representatives and senators • Electors vote for candidate who wins state • Candidate with majority of electoral votes wins • If no majority, House of Reps. chooses • Electoral College influences politics • Candidates must win in most populous states • 2000 Election – Al Gore

  11. 8.1 Peculiar elections

  12. 8.1 TABLE 8.1: 2004, 2008, and 2012 battleground states

  13. 8.1 8.1Which office is limited to two four-year terms? • U.S. Representative • Chief Justice • U.S. Senator • President

  14. 8.1 8.1Which office is limited to two four-year terms? • U.S. Representative • Chief Justice • U.S. Senator • President

  15. Counting Votes 8.2 • Different types of ballots • Subject to miscounts

  16. 8.2 Hanging Chad

  17. Counting Votes 8.2 • Absentee ballots and mail voting • Importance of poll workers • Determining who can vote

  18. 8.2 8.2If registered voters are challenged, what are they allowed to cast? • Provisional ballot • Absentee ballot • Ballot by mail • Write-in vote

  19. 8.2 8.2If registered voters are challenged, what are they allowed to cast? • Provisional ballot • Absentee ballot • Ballot by mail • Write-in vote

  20. Running for Congress 8.3 • The House of Representatives • Most House races are not competitive • Partisan gerrymandering

  21. 8.3 FIGURE 8.1: Safe and competitive House seats, 2000–2010

  22. Running for Congress 8.3 • The Senate • Better financed than House races • Midterm elections

  23. 8.3 FIGURE 8.2: Seats gained or lost by the president’s party in midterm elections, 1974–2010

  24. The House of Representatives Mounting a primary campaign Fundraising Personal organization Media visibility Campaigning for the general election More voters than primary Partisanship is more important Name recognition for incumbents and funding 8.3

  25. 8.3 Jean Schmidt

  26. The Senate Higher profile Six-year terms Higher cost of Senate campaigns Interest groups often commit more money to competitive races in smaller states 8.3

  27. 8.3 Figure 8.3: Rising campaign costs in congressional general elections

  28. The Senate Incumbency advantage Not as great as U.S. House 8.3

  29. 8.3 8.3Which of the following is more likely to be elected? • U.S. Senate challenger • U.S. Senate incumbent • U.S. House challenger • U.S. House incumbent

  30. 8.3 8.3Which of the following is more likely to be elected? • U.S. Senate challenger • U.S. Senate incumbent • U.S. House challenger • U.S. House incumbent

  31. Running for President 8.4 • Stage 1: The Nomination • Stage 2: The National Party Convention • Stage 3: The General Election

  32. Stage 1: The Nomination Presidential primaries Delegates and superdelegates Various types of primaries “Front loading” 8.4

  33. 8.4 Primary debate

  34. Stage 1: The Nomination Caucuses and conventions Delegates selected by party members Strategies Appeal to partisanship in primaries Appeal to moderates in general elections 8.4

  35. Stage 2: The National Party Convention The party platform Defines the direction a party wants to take on policy The vice presidential nominee Choice attracts wide media attention The value of conventions Nomination by petition Must meet each state’s ballot access requirements 8.4

  36. 8.4 Senator Marco Rubio at 2012 Republican convention

  37. Stage 3: The General Election Presidential debates “Joint appearance” instead of true debate Television and radio advertising More aggressive in battleground states Target ads to specific audiences 8.4

  38. 8.4 Romney ad

  39. Stage 3: The General Election The Outcome State of the economy probably most deciding factor of who wins 8.4

  40. 8.4 8.4When is the party platform determined? • In primaries • In caucuses • At the national convention • After presidential nominee is chosen

  41. 8.4 8.4When is the party platform determined? • In primaries • In caucuses • At the national convention • After presidential nominee is chosen

  42. Money in U.S. Elections 8.5 • Efforts at Reform • Continuing Problems with Campaign Finance

  43. Efforts at Reform The Federal Election Campaign Act Followed by creation of the Federal Election Commission Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) Soft money Contribution limits and disclosure Independent expenditures 8.5

  44. 8.5 FIGURE 8.4: Presidential primary cumulative receipts, 2011–2012 (millions of dollars)

  45. 8.5 FIGURE 8.5: Super PACs and million dollar donors

  46. Continuing Problems with Campaign Finance Costly campaigns only for the wealthy Incumbents have the advantage PAC money goes to incumbents 8.5

  47. 8.5 TABLE 8.2: Average campaign expenditures of candidates for House of Representatives, 1988–2010 general election

  48. 8.5 FIGURE 8.6: How PACs and others allocated campaign contributions to House candidates, 2009–2010

  49. Continuing Problems with Campaign Finance Candidates’ personal wealth Growth in individual contributions and use of the Internet to fund campaigns 8.5

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