1. Unit 4: American Politics Lesson 4: Campaigns & the Electoral Process
LESSON ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How are political campaigns financed?
 How do politicians balance their obligation to voters with the demands of special interests?
WARM UP
What effects does money have on politics?
Essential Lesson Vocabulary:
Federal Elections Commission
Campaign Contribution
McCutcheon v. FEC
Political Action Committees
Super PACs
Citizens United v. FEC

2. Unit 4: American Politics Lesson 3: Campaigns and the Electoral Process
Class Website:
DEADLINES & HOMEWORK:
Lesson One:
Performance Task Deadlines: October 30
Lesson Two:
Vocab Quiz: Nov. 2(End of class Quiz)
Lesson Three:
Performance Task Deadlines: Nov. 5
Lesson Four:
Performance Task: Nov 6
Lesson Five:
Performance Task: Nov 9
BENCHMARK / MIDTERM: Friday, Nov 6
UNIT 4 TEST: Friday, Nov 13
Lesson 3 Performance Task:
Select a candidate that is running for President in Write a guide for them describing what they will need to do to secure the nomination of their party and win the presidency. Your guide should apply at least 10 of the vocabulary terms from this Unit (and preferably from this lesson). OPTIONS INCLUDE:
Write a draft campaign plan
Write a newspaper article after the candidate wins that looks back on their path to the Presidency
Write a letter from the Candidate to their parent or spouse explaining what they’ll be doing while they’re away from home for the next year and a half.

3. Campaign Contributions
Money people donate to support candidates
Candidates raise money to pay for their campaigns.
Money is used to:
Pay campaign staff
Buy advertising (TV, internet, radio, print, billboards)
Send direct mail
Travel the country & hold events

4. Who gives money to campaigns?
Lots of people make small contributions
A few people give huge amounts of money
“Bundlers” – people that raise money from friends and companies for candidates they support

5. Federal Campaign Limits
Individuals can give
$2600 per election to a federal candidate (Senate, House, President)
Primary, general election, & runoffs are separate elections
$5000 per year to a Political Action Committee (PAC)
$10,000 per year to State or Local parties
$32,400 per year to a National Party
WOW – that’s a lot of $$$$$$ - what does a person get for all that dough?

6. Federal Elections Commission
FEC – regulates and enforces campaign finance laws and other election laws

7. McCutcheon v. FEC (2014)
McCutcheon files lawsuit challenging constitutionality of campaign contribution limits
Claims that limiting the amount of money he can donate violates his 1st amendment right to free speech
Supreme Court Agrees: people can give the maximum campaign contribution to as many candidates as they want
Limit for each candidate still applies

8. Does $$$ Equal Political Power?
Rich people can give a lot of money to candidates and gain influence.
Does this give them more power than poor people?
Is this fair?
There is a 1st Amendment right to free speech.
Money buys advertising time for speech.
IS MONEY THE SAME AS SPEECH?

9. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Candidates with more money usually win.
Where do they get the money from?
VOTERS & CORPORATIONS

10. Political Action Committees (PACs)
Can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on elections
Cannot talk with or coordinate with candidates
Much more common and powerful since Citizens United

11. Corporate Personhood
For the purposes of politics, companies are defined as “people”
That means that corporations can make political contributions

12. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
2010 Supreme Court rules that money equals speech;
Corporations are defined as people, and can give unlimited amounts of money to Super PACs
No limits on the amount of money PACs can spend in on elections
Argues that restricting money in politics is like restricting a person’s right to speak out about their beliefs

14. Special Interest Groups
Organizations that focus on getting the government to support the interests of a particular group of people or a particular issue
EXAMPLES
Restaurant Association
Chamber of Commerce
League of Women Voters
NAACP
Unions

15. (6 minute) Opinion Response: $$ in Politics
Some people think that there should be no limits on money in politics. They believe that candidates should be able to raise and spend as much as they can because political donations are an expression of free speech. Other people disagree and think there should be limits on campaign contributions. They think that allowing unlimited contributions gives wealthier people more influence in elections than poorer people, which makes elections unfair.
What do you think, and why? Should people and/or corporations be allowed to spend as much as they want on political campaigns? Or should spending be limited?

16. Continue Candidate research & prep for projects:
1) RESEARCH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE; 2) Continue Candidate Research 3) Play iCivics game: Win the White House
Using the Map I’ve given you and the link in classroom:
Hover cursor over each state & write the # of electoral votes that state has
Use “previous election” feature & find out how each state has voted historically. Go back to 1996.
If the state has voted BOTH DEMCORATIC AND REPUBLICAN SINCE 1996, it is a SWING STATE. OUTLINE IT IN PURPLE or LEAVE IT BLANK.
IF THE STATE IS ALL DEMOCRAT or ALL REPUBLICAN since 1996, color it red or blue
If you don’t have red/blue, you may write R or D instead
Continue Candidate research & prep for projects:
Google each candidate and a specific issue
Google each candidate and “poll numbers”
Google each candidate and “fundraising”
OPTIONAL: create meme’s for 3-4 candidates. See instructions in Classroom
Log into play “Win the White House”

18. PRACTICE & WORK TIME: WIN THE WHITE HOUSE: Log into www.icivics.org
Play the game: “win the white house”
Play the game online; ask me questions as you go; I will assist you with strategy
Students that get elected will earn 5 bonus points on this unit’s exam
Performance Task 4.3!!!
Select a candidate that is running for President in Write a guide for them describing what they will need to do to secure the nomination of their party and win the presidency. Your guide should apply at least 10 of the vocabulary terms from this Unit (and preferably from this lesson).
OPTIONS INCLUDE:
Write a draft campaign plan
Write a newspaper article after the candidate wins that looks back on their path to the Presidency
Write a letter from the Candidate to their parent or spouse explaining what they’ll be doing while they’re away from home for the next year and a half.

19. Work Time
Research each candidate using the graphic organizer and links provided.
Identify the candidates you like the best and the ones you think are most likely to win.
Based on what your group has learned about each candidate, create meme’s for each candidate in each race ( eight meme’s total)
GO TO:
Find pictures, make meme’s
Share with me via
Include names of group members in

21. Lesson Quiz Go to powerschool Enter Quiz Code: CEPOLQ3
Log In & go to Schoolnet
Enter Quiz Code: CEPOLQ3
Take Quiz
WHEN DONE: Continue work on Performance Task 3.3
Use what you learn in the game, your research on the electoral college, and your research on each candidate to complete PT 3.3.