Elections Chapter 13

Question to ponder What is the difference between a primary and a caucus?

Purposes of Elections Fill public offices Staff government Winners claim a mandate from the people

Primary election vs. General Election Primary Elections: nominate candidates through the distribution of delegates to a candidate Open: Any eligible voter can vote Closed: Must be registered with a particular party to vote Runoff General Election: fill elective public offices.

Other elections Initiative: Proposals supported be the people Referendum: Proposals submitted by state legislatures Recall: Voters remove an incumbent from office by popular vote i.e. Governor Grey Davis was removed by a recall vote, replaced by “Terminator”

Primary v. Caucus Primary Winner take all primary: Candidate with majority of votes receives all that state’s delegates. Proportional representation primary: Candidates receive % of delegates in proportion to their % of popular vote in that state. Caucus: meeting of members of a political party where members choose from the list of those seeking nomination for president.

Strategy to Win Nomination vs. general election In primaries, candidates must appeal to their party Opponents are from the same party Less media coverage, financing for primaries In a general election, candidates must appeal to the moderates Opponents are from the different party More media coverage, greater spending for a general election

Primary vs. Caucus 36 states had primaries in 2012 14 states had caucuses Iowa caucus begins the nomination season

Frontloading Frontloading: tendency of states to choose an early date on the primary calander. Benefits? Media attention Attention to state Money spent in a state

Party Conventions Held the summer of an election year Media frenzy Fundamentally different today than what it was in the past

Factors Decline Roles of Conventions Delegate selection Nominated through primaries, pre-committed to their candidate Superdelegates: delegates spots at the Democratic National Convention reserved for elected official National candidates Lessened the power of state and local party leaders at the conventions. News Media Tracking delegate selection, much exposure and information

Delegate Appointments Chosen through primaries Proportional representation vs. Winner-take-all WTA can shorten the process for candidates winning the nomination WTA can affect strategy WTA advantages those with more prominence, name recognition

Congressional Elections Occur every two years Less obscure, popular than presidential elections. Midterm elections: elections that take place in the middle of a presidential term (2010, 2014, 2018, etc)

Voting Turnout Presidential vs. Midterm elections Higher turnout in presidential elections Media coverage is greater Increased interest in presidential campaigns/elections Primary vs. General Elections Higher turnout in general elections Greater media coverage Increased interest Partisans and activists are more likely to vote in primaries Average voter more likely to vote in a general election Many primary elections are noncompetitive

Voter Turnout in United States Commonly one of the lowest turnouts amongst industrialized countries

Incumbency Advantage Incumbent: somebody already in office Taxpayer funds to run office Highly visible in districts Gerrymandering Protects incumbents Enhances political party strength Franking privilege: ability of congressional leaders to send mail to their constituents at no cost. Re-election of incumbents are VERY high

Michigan’s Congressional Districts

Redistricting Every 10 years, based on U.S. Census, congressional district lines are redrawn. Redrawn by state legislatures Reapportionment: when states gain or lose representation in the House

Reno v. Shaw

Shaw v. Reno (1993) Gerrymandering case Districts created with race as the dominant consideration violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment

Whether to Vote: A Citizen’s First Choice Who Votes? Education: More education = more likely to vote. Most important factor. Age: Older = more likely to vote. Turnout lowest among young people Race: Caucasian = more likely to vote. BUT, other ethnicities are higher with comparable education. Interest in politics (political efficacy)

Whether to Vote: A Citizen’s First Choice Who Votes? (continued) Marital Status: Married = more likely to vote. Union Membership: Union member = more likely to vote. Traits are cumulative - possessing several adds up.

Whether to Vote: A Citizen’s First Choice

Reasons for Lower Voter Turnout Difficulty of Registration (#1 reason) “Motor Voter” laws: register to vote when applying for license. Too Busy Number of Elections Difficulty of Absentee Voting Limited opportunities (midweek, limited hours, single day,etc…)

Electoral Requirements Decrease Turnout Citizenship Age Registration Photo identification laws: photo identification necessary to vote Some don’t have/don’t bring their Ids to vote, therefore they cannot vote

Expansion of the Electorate Fifteenth Amendment: Suffrage for African-American males Nineteenth Amendment: Suffrage for females Twenty-sixth Amendment: lowered voting age to 18.

Electoral College 1 Congress member=1 Electoral Vote 23rd Amendment- 3 electors to D.C. Winner take all in 48 states Winner of the popular vote in the state receives ALL of that states electoral votes National Popular Vote is IRRELEVANT

Why has the Electoral College NOT been abolished? Helps ensure a majority of electoral votes are earned by one candidate History/Tradition Change would require a Constitutional amendment No clear better alternative Ensures a two-party system Favors big and small states collectively

E.C.-National Popular Vote is IRRELEVENT 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000: President won the Electoral College vote despite not having the majority of popular vote

Elections decided by House of Representatives In the event no candidate receives majority (more than 1/2 ) of electoral votes, House of Representatives decides 1800- Tie in Electoral College (Result was 12th Amendment) 1824-House chose Adams over Jackson