1. Unit 3.2: Electoral Process
Nominating Process
Elections
Money

2. Unit 3: Participating in Government
Citizens & Political Parties
Voting
Electoral Process
Media
Interest Groups

3. Vocabulary Learning Outcomes Candidate Caucus Closed primary
Constituents
Convention
Delegates
Direct primary
Elector
Electorate
Electoral College
Electoral Vote
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
General Election
Inauguration
Incumbent
Nomination
Open primary
Plank
Platform
Political Action Committees (PACs)
Super PAC
Learning Outcomes
Describe the processes for national, state, and local elections.
(Honors) Demonstrate the election process by participating in a mock election for a selected political office.

4. Presidential Election Rap
Nominating Process
Elections Explained
Presidential Election Rap

5. The Election Process Reading Questions
What is the difference between a caucus and a primary election?
What are the objectives of a party’s National Convention?
Which medium (way) do you think is the most effective to gain support for a candidate? Why?

6. Debrief Campaign Simulation Video Clips
Fear – Daisy Commercial; ‘64 Johnson v. Goldwater
Fear – Youth Drugs; ‘96 Clinton v. Dole
Howard Dean in 2004
Negative Ads
(first 5 min)
Important Campaign Vocab Terms:
Frontloading
Super Tuesday
Daily Show Super Tuesday with Chris Wallace
(first 4 min)

7. Warm Up Where do political candidates get their money for campaigning?
How much do you think Obama & Romney spent on their 2012 Presidential Campaigns (combined)?
Speculate, how can this process lead to corruption?
NY Times 2012 Money Race

8. Campaign Finance Money & Elections
Spending
Funding
Regulating

9. Campaign Finance: Money & Elections
SPENDING
Campaigns need money for
What are factors that contribute to how much $ is spent on a campaign?
Political Office
Local/State, HOR, Senate, President
Incumbent or Challenger
Competitive or not

10. Campaign Finance: Money & Elections
FUNDING
Small Contributors – 10% of voters
$5 to $100
Wealthy Contributors
Candidates
Ross Perot spent $65 million in ’92
PAC – Political Action Committees
FEC – Federal Elections Commission
Public Funding

11. Campaign Finance: Money & Elections
REGULATIONS
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA)
Limited political contributions and required public disclosure of contributions & spending
Established a system of public funding for campaigns
Establish Federal Elections Commission (FEC), regulatory agency in charge of regulating campaign finance legislation in US
6 members (3 Democrats, 3 Republicans)
Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
Upheld FECA- ruled constitutional

12. Warm Up/Discussion Questions
Do you think there should be a limit on how much an individual contributes to a political party or candidate’s campaign? Do you think corporations/businesses should be allowed to contribute to a political party or candidate’s campaign?

13. Campaign Finance: Money & Elections
REGULATONS (cont)
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
Aka McCain-Feingold Act
Banning Soft Money, $ given to State and local party organizations for voting activities
Limiting Hard Money, $ given to candidates that are subject to regulations by the FEC
Loopholes were created called “527s” to get around the BCRA.

14. Campaign Finance: Money & Elections
REGULATONS (cont)
Political Action Committee (PAC)
“political committee organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates. Most PACs represent business, labor or ideological interests” (OpenSecrets.org)
Give $5,000 to a candidate & $15,000 to a political party

16. Campaign Finance: Money & Elections
REGULATONS (cont)
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
“Supreme Court held that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting political independent expenditures by corporations, associations, or labor unions.”
What does this mean?
First Amendment protects individuals’ freedom of speech
Corporations have the same rights as people and money is a form of speech.
Citizens United v. FEC Video & 2nd Video
Do you Agree with this decision? Why or why not?

17. Campaign Finance: Money & Elections
REGULATONS (cont)
Super PAC - Colbert SUPER PAC
May raise unlimited amounts of $$ from corporations, unions, associations and individuals.
May spend unlimited amounts of $$ to advocate for or against a political candidate
Prohibited to donate money directly to a candidate
Must report all transactions to the FEC
List of Super PACs
Colbert Super PAC Commercials

18. Campaign Finance: Money & Elections
Do you think the United States needs Campaign Finance Reform?
If so, what is the solution?

24. Campaign Finance: Money & Elections
Do you think the United States needs Campaign Finance Reform?
If so, what is the solution?