1. Power Point #4 Presidential Campaigns
Government
Unit 2

2. Essential Questions:
Found on the last slide…

3. Electing the President

4. Campaign Strategy Campaigns focus on: How to raise and spend money
Come up with a winning slogan
Decide what issues to focus on

5. Campaign Organization
Must have a campaign manager
State and local organizations distribute information
“Get out the vote” efforts

6. Using Television to get Your Candidate Elected
Television – the most important communication tool in the election process, helps form public image of the candidate

7. Television Commercials
View these two negative ads from the last election.
Which do you think is the most effective and why?

8. Television Debates
You don’t need to watch the whole thing  – but skip around and watch a few epic fails in presidential debates
Write on your paper the worst “fail” and why it was bad for the candidate

9. Television Interviews
Candidates and their running mates do interviews to increase exposure for the candidates
They can have a huge impact on the campaign
Watch John McCain’s vice president’s running mate, Sarah Palin, in an interview with Katie Couric
What impression did this interview give you of Sarah Palin?

10. Internet and Social Media
Internet – increasing importance and influence. Websites offer info to public, video, message boards, blogs, and up-to-date info and issues
Social Media – increasing importance and influence of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

11. Financing Campaigns: FECA
FECA (Federal Election Campaign Act) provides framework for regulating campaign finance.
Requires public disclosure
Limits individual and group contributions
Offers public funds if candidates limit their spending
There is a box on yearly tax forms - $3 each
Only major candidates automatically qualify for this money
Third-party candidates only qualify if their party got 5% of the vote in the previous election

12. Financing Campaigns: FEC
FEC (Federal Election Commission)
Regulates campaign finance, sets and enforces limits.
Loophole = soft money – not reported to the FEC or counted in limits.

13. Spending Limits Spending Limits = Controversial
Some believe people are buying elections
not democratic if only the rich can participate
This also leads to corruption
political favors owed in return for contributions.
Others say limits are violation of 1st Amendment rights to freedom of speech.

14. Spending Limits

15. Who Spent the Most on Their Campaign?
Analyze how each candidates campaigns were financed. Who and what were their biggest resources and who did they get it from?

16. Money Raised & Spent by Presidential Campaigns 2016

17. Contributions
Small contributors – $5, $10, $25, or so from individuals – approx. 10% give.
Wealthy Individuals – “fat cats” who contribute large sums of $ to candidates, campaigns, or parties.
Limits are:
$1,000 for each primary or general election
$5,000 per year to each PAC (Political Action Committee)
$20,000 to a National Party committee
$25,000 total in a year

18. Analyze this:
Why would one donor give so much money to both a Democrat and a Republican presidential candidate?

19. Candidates Personal Contributions
Ross Perot $65 million in 1992
Donald Trump spent $66 million

20. Political Action Committees
PAC’s are extensions of interest groups that raise money to support candidates.
Their spending limits are:
$5,000 for each primary general election
$15,000 per party per year – no overall limit

21. Super PAC’s
Technically known as independent expenditure-only committees
Super PACs may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals
They may spend unlimited sums to overtly advocate for or against political candidates.

23. for dinner with Hillary Clinton sponsored by George Cooney
Other Fundraising
Temporary non-party groups – organized to support certain candidates in specific elections.
Political Parties – constantly fund raise at to support candidates at all levels – dinners costing thousands per plate
Democrats often target Hollywood and fundraise millions
$175,000 “a plate”
for dinner with Hillary Clinton sponsored by George Cooney

24. Analyze this chart and answer the questions on the following slide

25. Graph Analysis
Both Clinton and Sanders were running for president in the Democrat Primaries
What type donors do each of them have?
Why do you think the donors for each candidate are so different?
What does that tell you about each candidate and the type of person who might vote for them?
What does it tell you about what obligations each candidate may have to those donors after the election?

26. 2016 Democrat Presidential Candidates

27. 2016 Republican Presidential Candidates

28. 1. Caucuses
Caucuses essentially function like traditional party primaries because residents cast ballots, and the candidate with the most ballots wins.
However, residents simply don’t walk into a polling site to cast their ballot, then exit.
Caucus night is more time-consuming because it includes discussing candidates, picking convention delegates and dealing with state party business
13 states use caucuses

29. 2. Primary Elections
An election in which party members select people to run in the general election.
Closed primary – only registered members of the party can vote.
Open primary – all voters may participate but you can only vote in one primary.

30. 2. Primary Elections
Direct primary – the person who gets the most votes becomes the party’s candidate.
Run-off primary – when no one gets a majority of the votes a second primary takes place between the two top vote winners.

32. Requirements and the Process

33. What are the requirements to be a presidential candidate?
Look at the last slide and answer these questions in place of an Essential Question:
What are the requirements to be a presidential candidate?
What are the four steps to become a president?
Write a sentence explaining each step