1. Campaigns and Elections
Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

2. In this chapter you will:
What is unique (and what is not) about American elections.
To ask how democratic American elections are today.
To discuss the influence of money in elections.
To explore presidential and congressional campaigns.
To identify the keys to a successful campaign for Congress.
To consider election reforms.
CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

3. How Democratic are American Elections?
Are American elections truly democratic? Americans vote more often and for more offices than the citizens of most other democracies.
The most familiar question today focuses on the role of money in election campaigns. PACs, super PACs, and 527s have become fixtures in national elections. Recent court decisions have significantly expanded the ability of wealthy donors and outside groups to contribute large sums.
CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

4. Presidential Campaigns and Elections
Presidential elections, despite their grueling intensity and duration, attract many aspirants every four years.
Nearly all serious candidates for the presidency are experienced politicians. No candidate without any experience in the public sector has ever won the presidency—until Donald Trump.
CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

5. Presidential Campaigns and Elections
The three phases of the campaign—the nominating process, party conventions, and the general election—require different political strategies.
Election outcomes are influenced by many factors: the economy, wars, organization, party loyalty, demographics, and the Electoral College. Add the role of accident and luck, and election outcomes are often difficult to predict.
CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

6. Congressional Elections
Every two years, all 435 House seats and a third of the Senate seats are up for election.
Very few restrictions govern who may run.
House and Senate incumbents have powerful built-in advantages when running for reelection.
The president’s party generally loses House and Senate seats during the next midterm elections.
CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

7. Congressional Elections
The president’s party generally loses House and Senate seats during the next midterm elections.
Decennial redistricting of House seats can result in some strangely shaped—and politically motivated—districts, known as gerrymanders.
Both parties gerrymander. In 2010, Republican control over state legislatures led to election districts that gave the Republicans an advantage in the House of Representatives.
CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS

8. Congressional Campaigns
To run successfully for Congress, follow a few vital steps: raise sufficient funds (and then raise more), organize a talented team, develop a strategy that plays to your strengths, and hone your message.
If you win, you become a freshman. Well done! Now, start running – your reelection campaign has begun.
CHAPTER 10: CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONS