Election campaigning

Terms of (dis)Union Confederation 60 Years On Wednesday, April 1, 7:30-9:30pm Inco Lecture Theatre – room IIC-2001 (All Welcome – free parking in lot 18) Panel Discussants Terry Bishop-Stirling, History Christopher Dunn, Political Science Jim Feehan, Economics Russell Wangersky, The Telegram Jeff Webb, History Moderator Doug Letto, CBC TV

Reprieve Research papers now due Thursday, April 2nd Research papers now due Thursday, April 2nd Remember that a good paper has an introduction and a conclusion and carries the argument through Remember that a good paper has an introduction and a conclusion and carries the argument through You may use subsections and subheads You may use subsections and subheads Be sure to document sources you use Be sure to document sources you use You can use any consistent form of documentation You can use any consistent form of documentation Be sure to PROOFREAD! Be sure to PROOFREAD!

New Political Science Curriculum Information Meeting 1:00-1:50pm Wednesday, April 1 Room SN-2105 For returning Political Science Honours, Majors and Minors Topics Course renumbering New courses New requirements New prerequisite policy "Grandfathered" status Sample course patterns Questions and answers

Parties and the problems confronting them: Declining memberships Declining memberships Parties find members useful to establish ‘presence’ (Susan Scarrow), but they have fewer of them Parties find members useful to establish ‘presence’ (Susan Scarrow), but they have fewer of them Declining party identifications Declining party identifications Demise of the (party) partisan press Demise of the (party) partisan press `In your face’ media `In your face’ media The 500 channel universe – how do you get attention to your message? The 500 channel universe – how do you get attention to your message? More critical voters? More critical voters?

Solutions which parties try: Catch-all strategies: bid for support wherever it can be found Catch-all strategies: bid for support wherever it can be found Cartel strategy: share power with others Cartel strategy: share power with others Reflecting both, efforts to repackage themselves, improve presentation in the media - new style election campaigning Reflecting both, efforts to repackage themselves, improve presentation in the media - new style election campaigning

Election campaigns and what they were and are (becoming) like Passive dull (Northern Europe) Passive dull (Northern Europe) Parties prepare programmes Parties prepare programmes Parties may use survey research to determine optimal positions Parties may use survey research to determine optimal positions Campaign posters on special billboards Campaign posters on special billboards Leaders make statements and comments – try to get covered on the evening news Leaders make statements and comments – try to get covered on the evening news Leaders and sub-leaders participate in formal debates on TV, in varying formats Leaders and sub-leaders participate in formal debates on TV, in varying formats

More active campaigning: Advertising and marketing agencies involved Advertising and marketing agencies involved Parties decides its message and sticks to it Parties decides its message and sticks to it Volunteers canvass door to door (UK, Canada) Volunteers canvass door to door (UK, Canada) Party is on message -- cf. ‘New Labour” Party is on message -- cf. ‘New Labour” Telephone banks Telephone banks The party and the way in which it behaves in office is the message – New Labour avoiding its former ‘tax and spend’ image The party and the way in which it behaves in office is the message – New Labour avoiding its former ‘tax and spend’ image $$$ $$$

Election campaigning in the U.S. The permanent campaign: The permanent campaign: Primary elections Primary elections The annual and biannual election cycles The annual and biannual election cycles Old style election campaigning: Old style election campaigning: relied heavily on party workers, canvassing, getting people to vote the ticket relied heavily on party workers, canvassing, getting people to vote the ticket ‘Shurmeystein’s law’ ‘Shurmeystein’s law’ Vote early and often Vote early and often E-day – pulling the vote E-day – pulling the vote $$ $$

New style election campaigning: Candidate-centred rather than party-focused Candidate-centred rather than party-focused Extensive involvement of campaign professionals: Extensive involvement of campaign professionals: Campaign professionals plan and map the campaign using polls, focus groups, Campaign professionals plan and map the campaign using polls, focus groups, Reliance on Reliance on Advertising and negative advertising Advertising and negative advertising Targeted mailing Targeted mailing Telephone banks and telephone messaging Telephone banks and telephone messaging Campaign under constant revision depending on the outcomes of different tactics Campaign under constant revision depending on the outcomes of different tactics $$$$$$$$....$ $$$$$$$$....$

Campaign finance – American style Some public finance for presidential candidates Some public finance for presidential candidates Candidates build their own campaign organizations Candidates build their own campaign organizations Candidates and parties raise their own funds from Candidates and parties raise their own funds from Wealthy donors Wealthy donors Direct mailings Direct mailings Political Action Committees (PACs) established by Political Action Committees (PACs) established by Candidates and prospective candidates Candidates and prospective candidates Organized interests Organized interests Firms Firms

American Parties and their role in election campaigns The changing shape of American parties: The changing shape of American parties: National Committees old-style – Committees without Power – natl party = confederation of state and local parties National Committees old-style – Committees without Power – natl party = confederation of state and local parties National Committees new-style: super-PACs National Committees new-style: super-PACs The Republican National Committee in the late 1970s, early 1980s The Republican National Committee in the late 1970s, early 1980s Use of targeted direct mailings to raise funds Use of targeted direct mailings to raise funds Money and information targeted to first time candidates Money and information targeted to first time candidates Funds to state parties Funds to state parties Competing centres of power Competing centres of power House and Senate campaign committees House and Senate campaign committees

Public finance A major issue and a major problem: A major issue and a major problem: Who should get public support? Who should get public support? On what basis? On what basis? Equal shares? Equal shares? Proportional to vote? Proportional to vote? How much for new candidates or new parties? How much for new candidates or new parties? Does public finance make parties lazy – encourage cartelization Does public finance make parties lazy – encourage cartelization Katz & Mair, 1995: parties as a service provided by the state Katz & Mair, 1995: parties as a service provided by the state

Trends: State finance in many countries, but problematic: State finance in many countries, but problematic: Should parties be able to raise money beyond the amounts granted by the state? Should parties be able to raise money beyond the amounts granted by the state? Should some aspects of parties’ activities (political education, research) be financed but not others (such as campaigning)? Should some aspects of parties’ activities (political education, research) be financed but not others (such as campaigning)? Should everyone pay? Should everyone pay?

The Obama Campaign Highly professional Highly professional Very centralized Very centralized Use of social networking sites Use of social networking sites Yet intensive use of volunteers Yet intensive use of volunteers But volunteers shadowed by paid worker But volunteers shadowed by paid worker Intense engagement of earnest young people Intense engagement of earnest young people Trying to continue after the election Trying to continue after the election Can it be sustained? Can it be sustained?