CHAPTER 10: ELECTIONS & CAMPAIGNS

American Elections v. Parliamentary System AMERICA = YOU PARLIAMENTARY = PARTY PAGE 231

Presidential Campaign #2 Presidential Campaign V. Congressional Campaign

#2 Presidential More people vote Congressional Incumbent Wins with over 60% of vote Not many people vote in off years (no president race) Candidates must be more appealing to the more motivated and partisan voter Can deny “mess in Washington” Take credit for things they didn’t do Presidential More people vote Candidate must work harder and spend more More competitive Winner gets less than 55% of vote from both parties

CONGRESSIONAL INCUMBENTS HIGH PERCENTAGE OF GETTING REELECTED Low voter turnout Services to constituents Duck responsibility Depends on how president is doing Ride coattails of president (a decline in this)

CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS HAVE BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT FROM THE PRESIDENT IF FROM SAME PARTY AS AN UNPOPULAR PRESIDENT DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL NOT GET ELECTED

RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT

RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT Get mentioned “has presidential caliber” Mention off the record that you may be running Travel around the country making speeches Famous name Governor of state

- Ronald Reagan set aside six years RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT 2. Set aside a lot of time - Ronald Reagan set aside six years 3. Experience (Governor)

NEED Money (PAC’S) - Organization Strategy and themes RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT NEED Money (PAC’S) - Organization Strategy and themes

Political Action Committees A committee set up by and representing a corporation, labor union, other special interests Give up to $5,000 dollars; usually give less

GETTING ELECTED TO CONGRESS

DISTRICT BOUNDARIES HOW DISTRICT BOUNDARIES ARE DRAWN MALAPPORTIONMENT – DISTRICTS OF VERY UNEQUAL SIZE GERRYMANDERING – DRAWING A DISTRICT BOUNDARY IN SOME BIZARRE SHAPE TO MAKE IT EASY FOR THE CANDIDATE OF ONE PARTY TO WIN THE ELECTION IN THAT DISTRICT

4 PROBLEMS OF REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE ESTABLISHING SIZE OF HOUSE (Congress decides) ALLOCATING SEATS IN THE HOUSE AMONG THE STATES--every 10 years. (Congress decides)

4 PROBLEMS OF REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE 3. DETERMINING THE SIZE OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS WITHIN THE STATES (states Decide) SUPREME COURT 1964 – DISTRICTS DRAWN SO THAT ONE PERSON’S VOTE WOULD HOLD AS MUCH WEIGHT AS ANOTHER PERSONS VOTE! 4. DETERMINING THE SHAPE OF THOSE DISTRICTS (states decide)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 435

CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS INCUMBENTS USUALLY WIN SOPHOMORE SURGE: NEWLY ELECTED CONGRESS MEMBERS BECOME STRONG IN THEIR DISTRICTS EARLY – 8 TO 10 PERCENT MORE VOTES THAN WHEN FIRST ELECTED

PRIMARY (CAUCUS) V. GENERAL CAMPAIGN

CANDIDATE IN MIDDLE OF POLITICAL SPECTRUM is most successful GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATE IN MIDDLE OF POLITICAL SPECTRUM is most successful NOT FAR RIGHT OR LEFT CONSERVATIVE liberal moderate

TWO CAMPAIGN ISSUES POSITION ISSUE – rival candidates have opposing views on a question that also divides voters VALENCE ISSUE – does candidate fully support the public’s view on a matter in which nearly everyone agrees (more important in recent years)

TELEVISION Is more effective for primaries than general election

SPOTS V. VISUALS Spot: television ads Visuals: news coverage Despite popular held views, spots are more helpful than visuals when running for office

POLITICAL DEBATES INCUMBENTS OR WELL-KNOWN CADIDATES DO NOT BENEFIT FROM POLITICAL DEBATES

"THE SLIP" CAN RUIN ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK BY ONE LITTLE SLIP OF THE TONGUE. WHY DEBATES AND FREE TV COVERAGE CAN BE RISKY

SOURCES OF CAMPAIGN MONEY Presidential candidates: some $ from private donors and some $ from federal government Federal government match dollar for dollar what candidates raise from private donors – up to $250 Congressional elections get no federal money

SOURCES OF CAMPAIGN MONEY Congressional incumbents get more money from PACs than do challengers which gives the incumbent a good advantage

WATERGATE SCANDAL President Richard M. Nixon resigned New campaign finance laws passed No more than $1,000 per person PACs – 5,000 to candidate & 15,000 to party per year

WATERGATE SCANDAL Third parties can get support from federal government if had received 5% of vote in last election

PROBLEMS WITH CAMPAING FINACNE LAWS Independent expenditures: money spent by PAC to help a party or candidate independently of them (added to the $5,000 a PAC can give) Soft money: can give as much money as you want as long as it does not back the candidate by name

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM ACT OF 2002 NO national party or party committee can accept soft money Individual contributions from $1,000 to 2,000 per person Independent expenditures by PACs limited Page 250

527 ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZATIONS, THAT UNDER 527 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE, RAISE AND SPEND MONEY TO ADVANCE POLITICAL CAUSES GEORGE SOROS SPENT 23 MILLION DOLLARS

"PEACETIME" GENERAL ELECTGIONS ARE WON BY THREE THINGS PARTY AFFILIATION STATE OF THE ECONOMY THE CANDIDATE’S CHARACTER

PARTY Party identification is the principle determinant of how people vote, and the economy If only vote by Party Identification Democrats would win every election

PROSPECTIVE VOTING Requires a lot of information about the candidates and the issues Political junkies Minority of all voters

RETROSPECTIVE VOTING Have things gotten better or worse If we like what has happened vote for same; if don’t like what has happened vote for change Like candidates past actions, or dislike candidates last actions ECONOMY

CAMPAIGNS THREE ways they make a difference Reawaken partisan loyalties Give voters a chance to see how candidate handles pressure Allows voters to judge the character and core values of the candidate

Republican v. Democrats African Americans, Jews, Catholics, union members, and southerners are overwhelmingly Democrat Republicans party wins majority of poor vote (elderly)