1. THE ROLE OF ELECTIONS Ryan D. Williamson 21 April 2015

2. Agenda Attendance Lecture on Elections and Campaigns Plan for Thursday

3. Questions?

5. Objectives Explain the competing forces politicians consider when choosing whether to take moderate or extreme positions. Identify the effect and ineffective components of campaigns.

6. CONCEPT MAP Two candidates want to win an election determined by plurality or majority rule. If all voters can be placed in order along a hypothetical line, based on their ideological and policy preferences, the convergence theory says that the candidates will shift their ideological and policy positions toward the center. If there are nine voters who all cast votes, as in this example, a candidate will need to win over the median voter in order to obtain a plurality or majority and win the election. In contrast, the divergence theory says that since candidates need money and other forms of support in order to get votes, the two candidates will shift their policy positions away from the center. Candidates will focus on winning support from the more motivated individuals and organizations at the extreme ends of the ideological spectrum. By gaining greater financial support, a candidate has more resources to devote to campaigning for votes.

7. What do Elections Accomplish? Policy direction of country Choice of office holders directly affects policy outputs Median voter theorem Candidates converge at the center Divergence theory Elections are between party extremes Primaries vs. general election

8. What do Elections Accomplish? Elections of competent, non-corrupt officials Selection effect Accountability Principal-agent relationship between voters and officeholders

9. What do Elections Accomplish?

10. Electoral Institutions Voters and seats Plurality with single-member districts Executive choice Governors vs. President Who can vote? Combination of federal and state laws

11. State Election Laws Each state chooses how to allocate electoral votes Most use plurality States play large role in redistricting States decide on voting technology, staffing of polling places, and how votes are counted Australian ballot

12. Primaries Open vs. Closed Presidential primaries New Hampshire and Iowa Frontloading Super Tuesday Delegate allocation rules

13. Questions?

14. Fundraising and Campaigns Political Action Committees Federal Election Commission Hard money Soft money 527 groups Citizens United v. FEC

15. Campaign Rhetoric: Negative Advertising

16. Campaign Technology Door-to-door Electronic media Televised debates: Nixon vs. Kennedy (1960) Internet and social media

17. Voter decisions Partisan or Michigan model Partisanship filter Retrospective-voting model Are you “better off” than before? Spatial model Candidate closest to you Directional Model Closest candidate that’s on the “correct” side

18. In Comparison: Elections Single-member plurality districts are unusual Proportional representation more common US has more candidate-centered campaigns Longer campaign season

19. Electoral Reforms Public financing Proportional representation Direct election of president Shorter, more positive campaigns Expand ballot access Campaign finance reform

20. Questions?

21. For Thursday Study for Quiz 5 Read Bullock & Gaddie ch. 13 Review