Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning CAMPAIGNING FOR OFFICE Chapter Ten

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Who Wants to Be a Candidate?  2012 presidential campaign  Multiple early primaries- held to determine a party’s nominee in states.  Long and expensive campaigns  Extensive candidate advertising  Increasing role of social media 2

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Who Wants to Be a Candidate?  Why they run:  Self-starters  To further careers  Carry out political agenda  Response to specific issues or events  Recruited by party 3

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Who Wants to Be a Candidate?  Nomination process  Controlled by state law  Favors majority parties  May include state convention, party caucus or primary election  American system one of most complex 4

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Who Wants to Be a Candidate?  Who is eligible? President: Must be a natural-born citizen At least 35 years old Be a resident of the country for 14 years by time of inauguration 5

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Who Wants to Be a Candidate?  Who is eligible? Vice President: Must be a natural-born citizen At least 35 years old Not be a resident of same state as candidate for president 6

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Who Wants to Be a Candidate?  Who is eligible? Senator Must be a citizen for at least 9 years At least 30 years old Be a resident of the state from which elected 7

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Who Wants to Be a Candidate?  Who is eligible? Representative Must be a citizen for at least 7 years At least 25 years old Be a resident of the state from which elected 8

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning The 21 st Century Campaign  The changing campaign  More candidate-centered  Electoral system changes  Increased importance of media  Changes in campaign funding  Rise of independent voters  Technology (social media and ) 9

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning The 21 st Century Campaign  The professional campaign staff  Political consultants- hired to devise the campaign strategy and manage campaign  Finance chairperson- directs fundraising and spending, makes sure in compliance with the laws.  Pollster- conducts and reads the polls  Communications director  Press secretary- interacts with the media  Volunteers used for voter turnout activities 10 Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning

The Strategy of Winning  Winner-take-all system (plurality voting system)- does not need a majority  Candidate visibility and appeal  Testing the waters (message)  Opinion polls  Tracking polls- taken for the candidate on a daily basis as the election approaches.  Focus groups- small group led in discussion by a consultant to get opinions on or responses the issues. 11

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Financing the Campaign  Regulating campaign financing  Hatch Act (Political Activities Act) of restricts political activities for civil servants. No political group could spend more than 3 million in any campaign and individual contributions to a political group, limited to  People just made more groups.  Federal Election Campaign Act- 1971, replaces all previous laws.  No limit on overall spending, but restrictions on mass media spending.  Required disclosure of all contributions and expenditures over

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Further Reforms   Created the FEC- Federal Election Commission- 6 administrators whose duties are to enforce compliance with the act.  Provided public financing for presidential primaries and general elections- last time a president did this was Bush-Kerry of 2004 bc of the additional rules they must follow.  Limited presidential campaign spending- if you accept federal support.  Limited contributions- citizens up to 1000 to a candidate in each federal election or primary; 25,000 a year per individual. Groups could do 5000 to a candidate in any election.  Required disclosure 13

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning 1971 & 1974 Principles  These laws were guided by 3 principles  Set limits on what individuals and groups could give in one election cycle.  Provide some public funding for presidential primaries, conventions and the general election campaign.  Make all contributions and reports public. All contributions made to candidates under these laws and principles is called HARD MONEY. 14

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Buckley v. Valeo  Originally the Federal Elections Campaign Act limited how much an individual could spend on their on behalf (if Romney was running, he could only spend a certain amount on himself)  In 1976 Buckley v. Valeo- the SC ruled this was unconstitutional because of the first amendment. 15

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Interest Groups and Campaign Finance: Reaction to New Rules  Political candidates have become dependent on outside donations to run their campaigns.  Interest groups and corporations funnel money to them through several devices:  PACS, soft money contributions, 527’s, issue advocacy advertising and after soft money was outlawed- SUPER PACS 16

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning PACS AND POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS  1974 and 1976 amendments to the Federal Elections Campaign Act allowed corporations, labor unions and other interest groups to set up PACS to raise funds for candidates.  Funds must be raised from at least 50 volunteer donations and given to at least 5 candidates in the federal election.  Interest groups send PAC money to candidates they think can do the most good for them.  PAC contributions are in a way an investment in a relationship.  5000 to one candidate and to a party from an individual 17

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning PAC Contributions to Congressional Candidates,

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning The Top 10 PAC Contributors to Federal Candidates, Election Cycle* 19

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Interest Groups and Campaign Finance: Reaction to New Rules  Candidates, PACS and political parties have found ways to generate soft money- campaign contributions to political parties that escape the limits of Federal election laws.  Limits on election contributions, but not for activities such as voter education or voter registration- LOOP HOLE which enables parties to raise millions from corporations and individuals. 20

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Interest Groups and Campaign Finance: Reaction to New Rules  Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (amended 1971 FECA)  Bans most soft money  Curbs some campaign ads by outside special-interest groups  Increased contribution limit to $2,000 with annual increases  Raised maximum amount individuals can give to $95,000 over two-year election cycle 21

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Interest Groups and Campaign Finance: Reaction to New Rules  Rise of the 527s- interest groups that previously gave soft money to the parties, set up these new organizations outside the parties. Name comes from their tax code  Tax-exempt, but unregulated  Can be partisan or ideological  Issue Advocacy- spending unregulated funds on advertising that promotes positions on issues vs. candidates.  Can raise more money than PACs 22

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Top Ten 527 Committees in Expenditures in

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Citizens United  Citizens United v. FEC (2010)  Lifts many restrictions for interest groups and corporations- they can now spend as much as they want on campaign advertising without limit as long as it is not coordinated with the campaign.  This led to Freedom Now v. FEC and claimed that the regulations barring individuals and groups from spending as much as they want on campaigns was unconstitutional according to Citizens United. The Federal Court agreed.  This opened the doors for Super Pacs. 24

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Super PACS  Can raise unlimited amounts of money, as cooperation's, unions or other groups but they can’t ever have direct contact with a candidate (unlike a PAC) they have to only support a candidate vs. contribute to a candidate.  In contrast to 527’s Super PACs have to report their donors to FEC- Super Pac’s usually pick innocuous names that make it difficult for people to know who they represent unless they look up their donor list from FEC. 25

Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning Top Ten Super PACs in Expenditures in First Sixth Months of