1. Media and Elections
Ce. 5a -5f

2. Media and Elections

3. Important!
Voters should evaluate information presented in political campaigns to make informed choices among candidates.

4. How do citizens make informed choices in elections?

5. Separating fact from opinion
Example:
A newspaper article about Obama vs. an editorial about Obama

6. Detecting Bias Example:
Facts presented in a way that may influence the reader

7. Evaluating sources
Example:
A newspaper vs. a blog

8. Identifying propaganda
Example:
Speech, literature or advertisement used to manipulate

9. How does the media play a role in the political process?

10. Identifying candidates
A televised debate between two candidates

11. Emphasizing selected issues
Report on important events such as the economy, health, and defense

12. Writing editorials, creating political cartoons, publishing op-ed pieces
Shows many opinions about campaigns and candidates

13. Broadcasting different points of view
Offering opposing viewpoints

14. Voting

15. Voting Voting is a basic responsibility of citizenship.
Voter registration is required before a citizen may vote.
The number of citizens who register and vote is related to how important election issues are to citizens. (Presidential elections have high voter registration and turnout!)

16. Voter Registration

17. Voter Registration
Most states have their own requirements to register and Virginia is no exception. Regardless of where you are though, registering to vote is one of the easiest ways United States citizens can participate in democracy.

18. What are the requirements for voter registration In Virginia?
Qualifications to register to vote in a primary or general election:
Must be a citizen of the United States.
Resident of Virginia and precinct (Area where you vote)
Must be 18 years old by the day of the general election

19. Where can you register to vote?
THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES (DMV)
THE REGISTRAR’S OFFICE
BY MAIL
Reminder:
Voter registration closes
22 days before elections.
Don’t forget to register!

20. What factors influence voter registration and turnout?

21. Education
The more education a person has the more likely they are to vote!

22. Age
The older a citizen is the more likely they will vote during all elections.

23. Income
The higher the income level of a person the more likely they are to vote.

24. Reasons why citizens fail to vote
Lack of interest
Failure to register

25. Election Turnout

26. What elections have the largest voter turnout?
The percentage of voters who participate in presidential elections is usually greater than the percentage of voters who participate in state and local elections.

27. Every vote is important!
Remember!
Every vote is important!

28. How can students under 18 participate in the democratic process?

29. Can’t vote due to age, no problem!
Student participation in the democratic process can include
participating in campaigns
participating in classroom and online simulations.

30. Political Parties

31. Political Parties
A two-party system characterizes the American political process.
Political parties play a key role in government and provide opportunities for citizens to participate in the political process.
Although third parties rarely win elections, they can play an important role in public politics.

32. Democratic Party
The now-famous Democratic donkey was first associated with Democrat Andrew Jackson's 1828 presidential campaign. His opponents called him a donkey, and Jackson decided to use the image of the strong-willed animal on his campaign posters. Later, cartoonist Thomas Nast used the Democratic donkey in newspaper cartoons and made the symbol famous.
Democrats today say the donkey is smart and brave.

33. Republican Party
Thomas Nast invented another famous symbol, the Republican elephant. In a cartoon that appeared in Harper's Weekly in 1874, Nast drew a donkey clothed in lion's skin, scaring away all the animals at the zoo. One of those animals, the elephant, was labeled The Republican Vote. That's all it took for the elephant to become associated with the Republican Party.
Republicans say the elephant is strong and dignified.

34. Third Parties Introduce new ideas.
Usually are only focused on one main idea.
Can have an impact on the outcomes of elections; however have never won a presidential election.
Often revolve around a strong political personality such as Theodore Roosevelt and the Bull Moose Party.

35. Similarities between Political Parties

36. Similarities of Political parties
While they may have different beliefs in regards to government, political parties operate in similar ways.
Among them are:
Organize to win elections
Influence public policies
Reflect both liberal and conservative views
Define themselves in a way that wins majority support by appealing to the political center

37. Organize to win elections

38. Influence public policies

39. Reflect both liberal and conservative views
Candidates for political office typically hold many views that can not always put them as solely conservative or solely liberal.
Former Senator Joe Lieberman is one of the best examples of a candidate who reflected a variety of views and could not be pinpointed as holding only liberal or conservative views.

40. Define themselves in a way that wins majority support by appealing to the political center
In order to win general elections, candidates from political parties will reflect more moderate views in order to reach most people. Therefore they will reflect both liberal and conservative views in order to best meet the needs and beliefs of more people.

41. Functions of political parties

42. Functions of Political Parties
Political Parties have four main functions:
Recruiting and nominating candidates
Educating the electorate about campaign issues
Helping candidates win elections
Monitoring actions of officeholders

43. Recruiting and Nominating Candidates
Which means:
Choosing the person(who) the political party wants to run for public office
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan were selected as the nominees for the Republican Party in 2012.
President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden were selected as the nominees for the Democratic Party in 2012.

44. Educating the electorate about campaign issues
Which means:
Informing voters about candidates and their platforms

45. Helping candidates win elections
Which means:
Helps the candidate to succeed at winning the election by funding the campaign

46. Monitoring actions of officeholders
Which means:
Watch the candidates to make sure they support the platform and do not embarrass the party.

47. Differences in Political Parties

48. Differences In Political parties
Stated in party platforms and reflected in campaigning

49. Electoral College

50. What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is a group of 548 individuals called electors spread across the 50 states and DC that vote for the President and Vice-President.
Each state gets a specific number of electors based on the state’s Congressional representation.
In each states:
# of Representatives + # of Senators = # of Electors
Example: Virginia
11 Representatives + 2 Senators = 13 Electors

51. Winner-Takes-All System:
What are the effects of using the Electoral College process to select the President and Vice-President?
 Winner-Takes-All System:
The winner of the popular vote in a state takes all of the electors for that state.
The system favors: targeting of large states for campaigning, although candidates must pay attention to small states whose electoral votes may make the difference in tight elections.

52. 2012 Electoral College Map

53. What are the effects of using the Electoral College process to select the President and Vice-President?
The requirements for a majority vote to win in the Electoral College favors a two-party system.

54. Campaign Finance

55. What does Campaign finance mean?
Campaign Finance means the money you spend when you are running against another person in an election

56. How much does it cost to campaign and get elected to public office?
Candidates spend money during the campaigns on:
Mass media to reach voters
Travel
The cost to campaign is high because:
Travel across the entire country
Cost of TV time is high

57. How has the high cost of getting elected changed campaigning for public office?

58. Require candidates to conduct extensive fundraising
Candidates spend a lot of time trying to raise money

59. Limit opportunities to run for public office
Less people can run for a job in the government

60. Give an advantage to wealthy who run for office
It’s easier for people with more money to win

61. Give issue-oriented special interest groups increased influence
Interest groups have more power because they have money to donate

62. Encourage the development of political action committees (PACs)
Because PAC’s raise money (they PAC in the cash), all candidates want to start one