1. November 17, 2009
Objectives: To develop an understanding of the Election Process
Question: Would allowing ex-felons to vote lead us closer to the democratic ideal? Explain your answer.
AGENDA: Notes, and yes, I highlighted what you need to write down.
Review for Test tomorrow, Test on Thursday!!!!

2. The Election Process

3. “Running for President”
The formal campaign has 3 stages:
The Nomination
The Convention
The General Election

4. How to get on the Ballot Primary or Caucus Petition Major Parties
Independents and third parties

5. The Nomination Nomination by Petition
-It is possible to get on the ballots without a party backing you.
As few as 200 signatures to get on the ballot.
As much as 3% of registered voters
In Washington State, that meant 72,784 voters.

6. MAJOR NOMINATION
When running for President, you must first win the nomination of your party before you can get on the ballot.
The decision of when to start campaigning varies. Early decisions are increasingly necessary.

7. To Get a Major Nomination
Primary Campaign…
Build a personal organization - Networking, serving in civic causes and on committees, helping other candidates.
Hire Managers - buy TV ads, conduct polls, raise money.
Visibility is #1- Mentioned in the media, public appearances, hand shaking and door-to-door campaigning.

8. The Nomination
Primaries- elections within the party to choose favorite candidate from that party.
Open primary- any registered voter can vote Texas has an open primary system (it doesn’t matter what party you belong to)
Closed primary- only declared party members can vote - it discourages “raiding”.
Wide open primary-no parties are listed on the ballot.

9. The Nomination
Caucuses- “Town Hall” meeting format. Candidates and issues are discussed and voted on in private until the group determines an individual nominee at that time it is announced publicly.

10. Caucus
Definition.
Early days used by the parties to select their candidates for president.
Congressional Caucuses
Still used in some local elections
Still used by some states for presidential nomination.

11. The Direct Primary
Election held within the party to pick the party’s candidates for the general election.
Every state has some form today.
Most states requires major parties to use for important office.
Closely regulated in most states so that state controls them.

12. Open v. Closed Primary
What is the difference between open and closed primary?
How many states closed? Open?
Advantages of Closed Primary
It prevents one party from raiding the other’s primary
It helps make candidates more responsive to the party and its platform
It makes voters more thoughtful because they have to choose between the parties in order to vote

13. Open v. Closed Primary Disadvantages of Closed Primary
Compromises the secrecy of the ballot because voters have to make the party preference known
tends to exclude independent voters from the nomination process

14. Primaries, Cont. Run-Off Primary --10 states
Non-Partisan Primary—usually city elections
Evaluating Primaries
Can be confusing
Turnout is low
Primary voters are more extreme and partisan
Expensive
Divide the party

15. Nomination by Petition
Candidates for public office are nominated by petitions signed by a required number of people.
Used most widely at the local level
Also used by independent candidates to get on the ballot.
State sets the number of signatures needed to get on the ballot.

18. The Nomination
Voters in Iowa (caucus) and New Hampshire (primary) bask in media attention because they cast their ballots first this has the effect of limiting choices of other voters in states who hold their primaries later in the process.

19. Against the Primary System Know at least 2 of these
 Disproportionate attention goes to the early caucuses and primaries
Rural, low minority numbers, more liberal
 Causes disunity & competition within the party
 Time Required
 Money plays a gigantic role - early quitters were unable to raise money quick enough.
 Participation is low and unrepresentative
50% in November, 20% in primaries, 5% in caucus
 Too much power given to the media
Influence who has the momentum at any given moment
The press labels candidates “winners and losers”.

20. In Favor of the Primaries Know 2 of these
Opens the nominating process to more voters than do the caucus or convention methods.
Opportunity to judge candidates abilities to
Organize a campaign,
Communicate through the media,
Stand up against pressure,
Public speaking and crisis control
Appeal to the needs of different regions and groups

21. The Nomination How do they determine who wins the primaries?
Winner-Takes-All – the candidate with the most votes wins. The winner doesn’t necessarily need a majority.
In a multi-candidate race, the winner may have only a plurality, (simply more than the other candidates.
In Texas, and ONLY IN PRIMARIES, we have a run-off election when no candidate gets a clear majority.
(two top vote getters run against each other to find the majority winner)!

22. Party Unification
Primaries tend to be a fierce political battle between opponents from the same party.
To bring about party unity, losers from the primary speak during the convention, putting their support to the winning candidate.

23. Reunification after the Primaries
Party Unity…
Reunification after the Primaries

24. The Ballot Every state now requires a secret ballot
Constitution does not require
Why is it considered important?
Australian Ballot. Four Features:
Printed at public expense
Lists the names of all candidates in an election
Given out at the polls
Voted in secret

25. Money and the Election Process
The great paradox of modern elections: Money is a corrupting influence but candidates can’t do without it.

26. Campaign Spending Amounts
In 2004 the cost of all elections was 2 Billion
House and Senate Campaigns cost 1 billion in 2000
Money is required for mailings, campaign staff, radio ads, web sites, buttons, etc.
Biggest single item?
TV advertising—Runs approximately 150,000 for 30 seconds in prime time.

27. Sources of Campaign Funding
Private Givers—have always been the major source of funding.
Small Contributors
Wealthier persons
Candidates themselves
Special interest groups/Political Action Committees (PACs).
Temporary organizations
Fund-raising activities by candidates and parties
Public funding—State and Federal funds given to candidates under certain circumstances.

28. Regulating Campaign Finance
Federal Election Campaign Act
Federal Election Commission
Bi-Partisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002.

29. Federal Election Commission
The agency set up in 1974 by Congress to administer federal election laws.
Is an independent agency in the executive department.
President can’t fire members
Members appointed by president and confirmed by congress.

30. Final 5
What is the most important part of being in an election? (In order to win.)

31. November 18, 2009
No first 5
Objectives: To develop a better understanding of the Election Process
Agenda: Finish notes
Review for Test
PPTs are on Staff Pages.

32. Federal Election Commission
Laws overseen fall into four areas:
Timely disclosure of campaign finance data
limits on contributions
limits on expenditures
public funding for several parts of the Presidential election process

33. Disclosure Requirements Know 3 of these
No gifts in the name of another.
Cash gifts limited to $100.
No gifts from foreign sources.
All advertising must bear the name of the candidate.
All contributions must be made through a single committee.
Only the committee can spend the money.
All contributions above $200 must be identified by source and accounted for.
All spending over $200 must be accounted for.
All contributes above $5000 must be reported to FEC within 48 hours. Also contributions over $1000 in the last 20 days of campaign.
Any independent committee spending more than $250 on behalf of a candidate must also file with FEC

34. Limits on Contributions
Individuals limited to $2000 to any one candidate in the primary and the same in the general election.
Limited to $5000 a year to single PAC and $25,000 to a national party.
Total contribution limit to candidates and PACs is 95,000, during any election cycle (the two years from one general election to the next one).

35. The Role of PACs
Neither corporations nor labor unions can contribute to any candidate running for a federal office.
PACs are the political arms of special-interest groups—business, labor, professional, cause, and other organizations that try to influence government policies.
Clout of PACs comes primarily from their ability to raise campaign money and their willingness to give it out.
Are more than 4400 PACs today—

36. The Role of PACs
PACs get money from contributors and members of the sponsoring organization.
Are usually focused on narrow issues.
Distribute money to candidates sympathetic to their views OR have a good chance of winning.
Spent more than $600 Mil. in 2004.
PACs are limited to $5000 to any single federal candidate in an election, but they can contribute to as many candidates as they want. $15000 limit to parties.

37. Limits on Expenditures
Buckley v. Valeo-- limits on spending abridge free speech.
Thus cannot limit:
how much candidates spend
how much of their own money candidates spend
how much third parties spend to promote a candidate.
However, Presidential contenders who accept federal subsidies ARE subject to limits on their campaign spending. That is part of the deal.

38. Public Funding of Presidential Campaigns
Fed. Election Campaign Act set up the Presidential Election Campaign Fund.
Money is used every four years to finance 1) the preconvention campaigns, 2) the national conventions and 3) the presidential election campaigns.
Money is administered by the FEC

39. Public Funding of Presidential Campaigns
Pre-convention Period
Primaries are funded by money raised by candidates plus money received from the FEC.
To be eligible for the public funds and candidate must
raise at least $100,000 in contributions from INDIVIDUALS
In lots of $5000 in each of at least 20 states
Built from donations of not more than $250
If meet this test, FEC will match the first $250 of each individual donation up to a total of half. Does not match contributions from PACs or political organizations.

40. Funding Presidential Campaigns
Each major party nominee automatically qualifies for a public subsidy Mil. In 2004
If the candidate accepts the money:
Can spend no more than the amount of the subsidy
Can not accept campaign funds from any other source.

41. Funding Presidential Campaigns
For a minor party to qualify for public funds, the minor party must either
1) have at least five percent of the popular vote in the last presidential election or
2) win at least that much of the vote in the election itself.
Very few minor parties meet this threshold
No minor party met this requirement in 2000 or 2004.

42. Soft Money
Soft money is money with no limits or rules that is raised and spent outside of federal election guidelines.
Soft money is often used to pay for ads that do not expressly advocate the election or defeat of a particular candidate.
As long as these ads do not use the words "vote for", "elect", "vote against" or the like, ads can be paid for with unregulated soft money.
Many argue that the huge infusion of unregulated soft money has destroyed the federal campaign laws.

43. Soft Money Nature of the problem
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
Limits soft-money donations to political parties
Limits what parties can spend on campaigns

44. Stage 2 “THE CONVENTION”

45. REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION

46. Day 1 – Keynote address & other speeches Day 2
THE CONVENTION
National Party Conventions
State Delegates
Commitment to a specific candidate?
Network TV coverage
Reduced in recent years due to lack of public interest.
Day 1 – Keynote address & other speeches
Day 2

47. Clinton in ‘88
Obama in ‘04

48. The Convention
Day 2&3: Committee reports/rules and the party platform.
The Platform is made up of planks (issues) put together that spell out where the party stands on the issues.

49. What are the issues? Abortion Legalizing marijuana Gun Control
Health Care
Economy
Foreign Affairs

50. The Convention Day 4 The Vice Presidential Nominee
Choosing the running mate
Accepting the nomination
The Vice Presidential Nominee
The choice is made before the convention,
The announcement is timed to enhance the media.
Sarah Palin, McCain’s choice in ‘08 was made to energize the McCain campaign (Did it?)

51. The Convention The Candidate
Balances the ticket
Mondale picked the 1st woman in 1984, Geraldine Ferraro -they did not win.
Bush Sr. did poorly with women and baby boomer voters, so he picked Quayle.
Bill Clinton and Al Gore do not represent a balanced ticket.

52. Stage 3: THE GENERAL ELECTION
Most voters vote on the basis of party and candidate appeal.
The Media and Image - Candidates devote a ton of attention to defining themselves positively and the opposition negatively. The media plays a big role in allowing this to happen.

53. Presidential Debates- TV debates are now a major feature of the elections. The 1960 debate of Nixon and JFK was famous because it elevated the role of TV in our politics.

54. The debates of 1992 generated a large viewing audience.
This debate did not change people’s minds though.
Most debates usually just reinforce people’s attitudes.

55. The General Election The Electoral College
Each state is free to determine how its electors are selected and are usually long time party workers.
They are expected to vote for their party’s candidate.
Each state gets an electoral number based on number of representatives and senators your state gets.
Texas has 32 representatives and 2 Senators, thus 34 electors.

57. Bush Lead in 2000 Gore lead in 2000
These were the toss-up states in 2000

58. The General Election The Electoral College:
The candidate, who wins a plurality of the popular vote, gets all electoral votes of that state.
The winning electors go their state capital on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December to cast their vote.
The ballots are sent to Congress early in January and Congress formally counts the ballots and declares the winner.
If no candidate gets the 270 needed, the House chooses the President and the Senate chooses the VP

59. Election 2004 Blue States-Democrat Red-Republican

60. The General Election
Most electoral rules remain matters of state law - but every 2 years there is a Congressional election, every 4 years, a Presidential election.
Elections for members of Congress and the President occur the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November on even numbered years. (in the Constitution)