Media and Elections Ce. 5a -5f

Media and Elections

Important! Voters should evaluate information presented in political campaigns to make informed choices among candidates.

How do citizens make informed choices in elections?

Separating fact from opinion Example: A newspaper article about Obama vs. an editorial about Obama

Detecting Bias Example: Facts presented in a way that may influence the reader

Evaluating sources Example: A newspaper vs. a blog

Identifying propaganda Example: Speech, literature or advertisement used to manipulate

How does the media play a role in the political process?

Identifying candidates A televised debate between two candidates

Emphasizing selected issues Report on important events such as the economy, health, and defense

Writing editorials, creating political cartoons, publishing op-ed pieces Shows many opinions about campaigns and candidates

Broadcasting different points of view Offering opposing viewpoints

Voting

Voting Voting is a basic responsibility of citizenship. Voter registration is required before a citizen may vote. The number of citizens who register and vote is related to how important election issues are to citizens. (Presidential elections have high voter registration and turnout!)

Voter Registration

Voter Registration Most states have their own requirements to register and Virginia is no exception. Regardless of where you are though, registering to vote is one of the easiest ways United States citizens can participate in democracy.

What are the requirements for voter registration In Virginia? Qualifications to register to vote in a primary or general election: Must be a citizen of the United States. Resident of Virginia and precinct (Area where you vote) Must be 18 years old by the day of the general election

Where can you register to vote? THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES (DMV) THE REGISTRAR’S OFFICE BY MAIL Reminder: Voter registration closes 22 days before elections. Don’t forget to register!

What factors influence voter registration and turnout?

Education The more education a person has the more likely they are to vote!

Age The older a citizen is the more likely they will vote during all elections.

Income The higher the income level of a person the more likely they are to vote.

Reasons why citizens fail to vote Lack of interest Failure to register

Election Turnout

What elections have the largest voter turnout? The percentage of voters who participate in presidential elections is usually greater than the percentage of voters who participate in state and local elections.

Every vote is important! Remember! Every vote is important!

How can students under 18 participate in the democratic process?

Can’t vote due to age, no problem! Student participation in the democratic process can include participating in campaigns participating in classroom and online simulations.

Political Parties

Political Parties A two-party system characterizes the American political process. Political parties play a key role in government and provide opportunities for citizens to participate in the political process. Although third parties rarely win elections, they can play an important role in public politics.

Democratic Party The now-famous Democratic donkey was first associated with Democrat Andrew Jackson's 1828 presidential campaign. His opponents called him a donkey, and Jackson decided to use the image of the strong-willed animal on his campaign posters. Later, cartoonist Thomas Nast used the Democratic donkey in newspaper cartoons and made the symbol famous. Democrats today say the donkey is smart and brave.

Republican Party Thomas Nast invented another famous symbol, the Republican elephant. In a cartoon that appeared in Harper's Weekly in 1874, Nast drew a donkey clothed in lion's skin, scaring away all the animals at the zoo. One of those animals, the elephant, was labeled The Republican Vote. That's all it took for the elephant to become associated with the Republican Party. Republicans say the elephant is strong and dignified.

Third Parties Introduce new ideas. Usually are only focused on one main idea. Can have an impact on the outcomes of elections; however have never won a presidential election. Often revolve around a strong political personality such as Theodore Roosevelt and the Bull Moose Party.

Similarities between Political Parties

Similarities of Political parties While they may have different beliefs in regards to government, political parties operate in similar ways. Among them are: Organize to win elections Influence public policies Reflect both liberal and conservative views Define themselves in a way that wins majority support by appealing to the political center

Organize to win elections

Influence public policies

Reflect both liberal and conservative views Candidates for political office typically hold many views that can not always put them as solely conservative or solely liberal. Former Senator Joe Lieberman is one of the best examples of a candidate who reflected a variety of views and could not be pinpointed as holding only liberal or conservative views.

Define themselves in a way that wins majority support by appealing to the political center In order to win general elections, candidates from political parties will reflect more moderate views in order to reach most people. Therefore they will reflect both liberal and conservative views in order to best meet the needs and beliefs of more people.

Functions of political parties

Functions of Political Parties Political Parties have four main functions: Recruiting and nominating candidates Educating the electorate about campaign issues Helping candidates win elections Monitoring actions of officeholders

Recruiting and Nominating Candidates Which means: Choosing the person(who) the political party wants to run for public office Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan were selected as the nominees for the Republican Party in 2012. President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden were selected as the nominees for the Democratic Party in 2012.

Educating the electorate about campaign issues Which means: Informing voters about candidates and their platforms

Helping candidates win elections Which means: Helps the candidate to succeed at winning the election by funding the campaign

Monitoring actions of officeholders Which means: Watch the candidates to make sure they support the platform and do not embarrass the party.

Differences in Political Parties

Differences In Political parties Stated in party platforms and reflected in campaigning

Electoral College

What is the Electoral College? The Electoral College is a group of 548 individuals called electors spread across the 50 states and DC that vote for the President and Vice-President. Each state gets a specific number of electors based on the state’s Congressional representation. In each states: # of Representatives + # of Senators = # of Electors Example: Virginia 11 Representatives + 2 Senators = 13 Electors

Winner-Takes-All System: What are the effects of using the Electoral College process to select the President and Vice-President?  Winner-Takes-All System: The winner of the popular vote in a state takes all of the electors for that state. The system favors: targeting of large states for campaigning, although candidates must pay attention to small states whose electoral votes may make the difference in tight elections.

2012 Electoral College Map

What are the effects of using the Electoral College process to select the President and Vice-President? The requirements for a majority vote to win in the Electoral College favors a two-party system.

Campaign Finance

What does Campaign finance mean? Campaign Finance means the money you spend when you are running against another person in an election

How much does it cost to campaign and get elected to public office? Candidates spend money during the campaigns on: Mass media to reach voters Travel The cost to campaign is high because: Travel across the entire country Cost of TV time is high

How has the high cost of getting elected changed campaigning for public office?

Require candidates to conduct extensive fundraising Candidates spend a lot of time trying to raise money

Limit opportunities to run for public office Less people can run for a job in the government

Give an advantage to wealthy who run for office It’s easier for people with more money to win

Give issue-oriented special interest groups increased influence Interest groups have more power because they have money to donate

Encourage the development of political action committees (PACs) Because PAC’s raise money (they PAC in the cash), all candidates want to start one