Elections and Voting Behavior Chapter 10

Three Types of Elections Party Nominees (primary elections) Office Holders (general election) Specific policies Referendum State-level direct legislation where voters approve legislation or constitutional amendment Initiative petition Process in some states where voters can propose changes to state constitution with a vote w/ enough signatures

Three Major Historical Elections 1800 – First Electoral Transition of Power Adams vs. Jefferson No primaries, conventions, or speeches Newspapers were highly partisan Campaigns focused on the state legislatures who chose electors (Electoral College) After a vote in the House, presidency was transferred to Jefferson peacefully

Three Major Historical Elections 1896 - Fighting over Economic Interests Democrats’ main issue: unlimited coinage of silver William Jennings Bryan won Democratic Party nomination w/ speeches about virtues of silver McKinley won the election and the Republicans regained majority status

Three Major Historical Elections 2004 - Ratification of a Polarizing Presidency George W. Bush became the fourth Republican since McKinley to win 2nd term Intensity of the election was in part due to the controversy of the 2000 election Hanging chad election 2004 campaign was negative on both sides Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (527) Leadership of War on Terror and “moral values” - key issues

Three Major Historical Elections

Gaining the Right to Vote Suffrage – legal right to vote 15th Amendment granted African American males suffrage 19th Amendment granted women suffrage 26th Amendment granted people 18 and older suffrage

Should We Vote? U.S. has low voter turnout Economist Anthony Downs It is can be rational to not vote Seeing a clear differences between parties = likely to vote If indifferent, someone might not vote Political Efficacy Belief that one’s political participation really matters Civic Duty Belief that in order to support democratic gov’t, a citizen should always vote

Should We Vote?

How to Vote Registering To Vote Voter Registration Motor Voter Act System adopted by states that requires voters to register well in advance of the election day Registration procedures differ by state Motor Voter Act Passed in 1993, requires states to permit people to register to vote w/ driver’s license

Who Actually Votes? Education Gender Marital Status Age More education = more likely to vote. Most important factor Female = more likely to vote Marital Status Age Married = more likely to vote Older = more likely to vote Union Membership Race Union member = more likely to vote Caucasian = more likely to vote Other ethnicities are higher w/ comparable education Traits are cumulative– possessing several adds up

Explaining Voters’ Decisions Mandate Theory of Elections Winning candidate has a mandate from ppl to carry out his or her platforms and politics Politicians like theory better than political scientists

Explaining Voters’ Decisions Party Identification People generally vote for party agree w/ Rise of candidate-centered politics Parties’ hold on voters declined in 60s and 70s No Content Voters More voters make individual decision and are up for grabs each election Known as floating voters

Explaining Voters’ Decisions Candidate Evaluations - How Americans See the Candidates Candidates want a good visual image Especially on dimensions of integrity, reliability, and competence Personality plays role in vote choice, especially if a candidate is seen as incompetent or dishonest

The Last Battle: Electoral College Electoral college actually elects president Founders wanted prez chosen by elite States choose the electors Winner-Take-All system gives bigger emphasis to more populated states

The Last Battle: The Electoral College How it works today: Each state has as many votes as it does Reps and Senators Winner of popular vote usually gets all EC votes Exceptions Maine and Nebraska Electors meet in Dec, votes are reported by the vice president in January If no majority (270 votes), House of Reps votes for president, with each state casting one vote.

Understanding Elections and Voting Behavior Democracy and Elections Greater policy differences btw candidates give voters more opportunity to steer gov’t policy by their choices Unlikely—candidates do not always clarify issues Candidates who promise to continue popular policies more likely to win Retrospective voting Voters cast a vote based on what a candidate has done for them lately Those who feel worse off are likely to vote against incumbents Bad economies make politicians nervous Nature of the Times voters

Understanding Elections and Voting Behavior Elections and the Scope of Government Elections generally support gov’t policies and power Voters feel they are sending message to gov’t to accomplish something So gov’t expands to meet needs of voters