Campaigns

Goals of a Campaign 1.Convince the public to vote for a candidate –Name,face 2.Create a campaign organization 3.Let voters know the issues 4.Raise Money

How can campaign workers accomplish these goals? 1.Canvassing: speaking to voters directly, Local level: door- to-door National level: taking polls

How can campaign workers accomplish these goals? 2. Endorsements: propaganda technique, promoting a certain person or idea

How can campaign workers accomplish these goals? 3. Advertising and Image Modeling: creating the right image

What do campaigns have to pay for? Advertising Transportation Salaries for campaign staff Postage Phone

Regulations of Financing Federal Election Commission (FEC) –Limits the amount of money an individual can donate to a candidate –Need to tell the public about spending

Presidential Election Campaign Fund Allows taxpayers to be able to check a box and donate $3 of their annual taxes to this fund

Presidential Campaign Fund Candidates need to raise $100,000 on their own and then they can qualify for money from this fund. Each candidate gets equal amounts only if they don’t receive direct contributions.

What about the Third Parties? They can get money too! Only if they receive more than 5% of the popular vote.

Who donates money? 1.Individual citizens 2.Party organizations 3.Corporations 4.Interest Groups

Sneaking around the Campaign Finance Law PACs Political Action Committees –Gives money to a candidate only if they support their issue Soft-money: money given to a party but not to a particular candidate. –The party can use it how they want!

Soft-Money PACs give most of their soft-money to incumbents: politicians who already hold an office.

Some facts Under federal law, in , an individual may contribute no more than: $2,300 to a candidate per election (primary and general) $28,500 to a political party per year $108,200 combined per election cycle to candidates, parties and PACs

The 2008 campaign was the costliest in history, with a record-shattering $5.3 billion in spending by candidates, The amount spent on the presidential race alone was $2.4 billion when all candidates and related expenses are included

Voting on Issues not the Candidate Citizens can propose a new law or constitutional amendment through an initiative

What if you don’t like a law? Referendum: citizens can approve or reject a state or local law. More than ½ the state has to vote Law can be sent back and voted on again