1. CHAPTER 10:
ELECTIONS & CAMPAIGNS

2. American Elections v.
Parliamentary System
AMERICA = YOU
PARLIAMENTARY = PARTY
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3. Presidential Campaign#2
Presidential Campaign V.
Congressional Campaign

4. #2 Presidential More people vote
Congressional
Incumbent Wins with over 60% of vote
Not many people vote in off years (no president race)
Candidates must be more appealing to the more motivated and partisan voter
Can deny “mess in Washington”
Take credit for things they didn’t do
Presidential
More people vote
Candidate must work harder and spend more
More competitive
Winner gets less than 55% of vote from both parties

5. CONGRESSIONAL INCUMBENTS
HIGH PERCENTAGE OF GETTING REELECTED
Low voter turnout
Services to constituents
Duck responsibility
Depends on how president is doing
Ride coattails of president (a decline in this)

6. CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS
HAVE BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT FROM THE PRESIDENT
IF FROM SAME PARTY AS AN UNPOPULAR PRESIDENT DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL NOT GET ELECTED

7. RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT

8. RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT Get mentioned “has presidential caliber”
Mention off the record that you may be running
Travel around the country making speeches
Famous name
Governor of state

9. - Ronald Reagan set aside six years
RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT
2. Set aside a lot of time
- Ronald Reagan set aside six years
3. Experience (Governor)

10. NEED Money (PAC’S) - Organization Strategy and themes
RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT
NEED
Money (PAC’S) -
Organization
Strategy and themes

11. Political Action Committees
A committee set up by and representing a corporation, labor union, other special interests
Give up to $5,000 dollars; usually give less

12. GETTING ELECTED TO CONGRESS

13. DISTRICT BOUNDARIES HOW DISTRICT BOUNDARIES ARE DRAWN
MALAPPORTIONMENT – DISTRICTS OF VERY UNEQUAL SIZE
GERRYMANDERING – DRAWING A DISTRICT BOUNDARY IN SOME BIZARRE SHAPE TO MAKE IT EASY FOR THE CANDIDATE OF ONE PARTY TO WIN THE ELECTION IN THAT DISTRICT

14. 4 PROBLEMS OF REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE
ESTABLISHING SIZE OF HOUSE (Congress decides)
ALLOCATING SEATS IN THE HOUSE AMONG THE STATES--every 10 years. (Congress decides)

15. 4 PROBLEMS OF REPRESENTATION IN THE HOUSE
3. DETERMINING THE SIZE OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS WITHIN THE STATES (states Decide)
SUPREME COURT 1964 – DISTRICTS DRAWN SO THAT ONE PERSON’S VOTE WOULD HOLD AS MUCH WEIGHT AS ANOTHER PERSONS VOTE!
4. DETERMINING THE SHAPE OF THOSE DISTRICTS (states decide)

16. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
435

17. CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS
INCUMBENTS USUALLY WIN
SOPHOMORE SURGE: NEWLY ELECTED CONGRESS MEMBERS BECOME STRONG IN THEIR DISTRICTS EARLY – 8 TO 10 PERCENT MORE VOTES THAN WHEN FIRST ELECTED

18. PRIMARY (CAUCUS) V.
GENERAL CAMPAIGN

19. CANDIDATE IN MIDDLE OF POLITICAL SPECTRUM is most successful
GENERAL ELECTION
CANDIDATE IN MIDDLE OF POLITICAL SPECTRUM is most successful
NOT FAR RIGHT OR LEFT
CONSERVATIVE
liberal
moderate

20. TWO CAMPAIGN ISSUES
POSITION ISSUE – rival candidates have opposing views on a question that also divides voters
VALENCE ISSUE – does candidate fully support the public’s view on a matter in which nearly everyone agrees (more important in recent years)

21. TELEVISION
Is more effective for primaries than general election

22. SPOTS V. VISUALS Spot: television ads Visuals: news coverage
Despite popular held views, spots are more helpful than visuals when running for office

23. POLITICAL DEBATES
INCUMBENTS OR WELL-KNOWN CADIDATES DO NOT BENEFIT FROM POLITICAL DEBATES

24. "THE SLIP"
CAN RUIN ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK BY ONE LITTLE SLIP OF THE TONGUE.
WHY DEBATES AND FREE TV COVERAGE CAN BE RISKY

25. SOURCES OF CAMPAIGN MONEY
Presidential candidates: some $ from private donors and some $ from federal government
Federal government match dollar for dollar what candidates raise from private donors – up to $250
Congressional elections get no federal money

26. SOURCES OF CAMPAIGN MONEY
Congressional incumbents get more money from PACs than do challengers which gives the incumbent a good advantage

27. WATERGATE SCANDAL President Richard M. Nixon resigned
New campaign finance laws passed
No more than $1,000 per person
PACs – 5,000 to candidate & 15,000 to party per year

28. WATERGATE SCANDAL
Third parties can get support from federal government if had received 5% of vote in last election

29. PROBLEMS WITH CAMPAING FINACNE LAWS
Independent expenditures: money spent by PAC to help a party or candidate independently of them (added to the $5,000 a PAC can give)
Soft money: can give as much money as you want as long as it does not back the candidate by name

30. CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM ACT OF 2002
NO national party or party committee can accept soft money
Individual contributions from $1,000 to 2,000 per person
Independent expenditures by PACs limited
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31. 527 ORGANIZATIONS
ORGANIZATIONS, THAT UNDER 527 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE, RAISE AND SPEND MONEY TO ADVANCE POLITICAL CAUSES
GEORGE SOROS SPENT 23 MILLION DOLLARS

32. "PEACETIME" GENERAL ELECTGIONS
ARE WON BY THREE THINGS
PARTY AFFILIATION
STATE OF THE ECONOMY
THE CANDIDATE’S CHARACTER

33. PARTY
Party identification is the principle determinant of how people vote, and the economy
If only vote by Party Identification Democrats would win every election

34. PROSPECTIVE VOTING
Requires a lot of information about the candidates and the issues
Political junkies
Minority of all voters

35. RETROSPECTIVE VOTING Have things gotten better or worse
If we like what has happened vote for same; if don’t like what has happened vote for change
Like candidates past actions, or dislike candidates last actions
ECONOMY

36. CAMPAIGNS THREE ways they make a difference
Reawaken partisan loyalties
Give voters a chance to see how candidate handles pressure
Allows voters to judge the character and core values of the candidate

37. Republican v. Democrats
African Americans, Jews, Catholics, union members, and southerners are overwhelmingly Democrat
Republicans party wins majority of poor vote (elderly)