1. Elections and Campaign
Ch 10
Elections and Campaign

2. Modern Campaigns Parties are less important
Media has become more important
Polling and fundraising paramount!
Most money spent on TV ads!
Evidence that this makes a difference? No!
Extensive voter polling be done
Importance of political professionals
2 parts of American elections-1st is getting nominated, 2nd is getting elected

3. Presidential versus Congressional Campaigns
Presidential campaign are more competitive than Congressional elections

4. Congressional off-year elections

5. Congress v President
Members of Congress can do things for their constituents that Presidents cannot-all politics is local
Incumbents in congress run against the “mess in Washington” as individuals-difficult for incumbent Presidents to do this
Sophomore surge-use of franking privilege and constituent services, pork barrel politics, greater name recognition

6. Coattails

7. Congressional campaigns
Unlimited number of terms for members of Congress
Incredible incumbency advantage
Size of the first House was 65 members(now it is 435), Senate 2 per state-originally chosen by state legislatures, now chosen at large
Congress decides how many representatives each state has in the House based on census population-tell the states how many reps each state gets-reapportionment
State legislature draws district lines for their state to elect members of the House in a single member district
Problem of malapportionment and reapportionment

9. California 23

10. North Carolina 12-Easly v Cromartie

11. gerrymandering
Issue of gerrymandering-drawing odd shaped boundary lines to favor a particular candidate or political party
1964 Wesberry v Sanders Court ruled that that congressional districts had to be relatively equal in population-“one person, one vote”

12. The Nominating process-
The process of naming people to run for office
Self announcement-oldest form of nomination
The caucus-group of like party activists debate and select the candidates to run in the upcoming election

13. The Convention
delegates selected by local districts meet together to chose candidates for office-first held by Anti Masons in 1831

14. Direct primary
intraparty election held to pick candidates for general election, first held in Wisconsin in requires an individual effort-you decide to run, you raise the money, you get on the ballot, and you have to appeal to the voters

15. 2 basic forms of direct primary
Closed Primary -25 states
Only declared party members can vote in the primary, usually established at registration
Prevents one party from raiding another‘s primary
Makes candidates more responsive to the party and its members
Makes the voters more thoughtful because they must choose between the parties to vote in the primaries

16. Open primary-17 states
Any qualified voter can cast a ballot; voters must declare which ballot they want the day of the election at the polls
A. Voters not forced to make their party preferences part of the public record
B. Allows independent voters a chance to vote in the primary

17. Blanket primary-3 states
Every voter receives same ballot with all the candidates from all the parties on it

18. Takeaways
low turnout in primaries-premium on mobilization of political activists-democrat candidates more liberal, republicans more conservative…how to appeal to average voter!!!!
can be very costly
can be very divisive within a party
places a premium on name recognition

19. Winning and losing elections
What makes a difference and what does not make a difference?

20. Not a difference!
1. Money (for presidential elections, it matters more in congressional elections)
2. Vice President
3. Issues like abortion
4. Political reporting or the media
5. Religion of the candidates

21. Makes a difference…. 1. Party affiliation
2. The state of the economy-VO Key…”the Voters are not fools”
3. Issues, especially the economy
4. The character of the candidates-being “Presidential”
5. Campaign-finding a winning coalition
a. Awaken the partisan loyalties
b. voters see how the candidates handle pressure
c. gives voters ability to judge the character and core issues of the candidate

22. 2 types of voting
Prospective voting-forward looking voting that tend to analyze the issues and candidates and which candidate will best handle these matters
Retrospective voting—backward looking voters that look to performance of the party in power and vote on how they have done in office

23. 2 kinds of Campaign issues
Position issue-rival candidates have opposing views on a question that also divides the voters
Valence issues-question is whether or not the candidates fully support the public’s view on some issue on which nearly everyone agrees